The LOCAL Trend- Far more important than yuppies know... (PT 1)

    So, it's been pretty hip to eat and drink local for a while now. And like most folk, I never stopped to really think about the ramifications and importance of eating and drinking local. Not, that is, until I started to brew beer commercially.
    There is a big waste factor for commercial brewers: all of those spent grains... What to do with them? Well the brewery I work for, like most I know of, gives their spent grain free of charge to local farmers for animal feed and compost. As we have begun to develop a close, personal relationship with the farmer who takes our spent grain for us, I have begun to realize just how important dealing with local producers is. It isn't just the corporate giant versus the little independents. It's far more deep rooted than that.
    It begins with the economy. When you spend money at locally owned, independent businesses, or spend your money on locally made products, that money is more likely to stay in our local communities. Findings from several different studies on local versus national chain retailers (which you can find here) shows that the money you spend at a local business, or on local products, is more likely to get pumped back into the local economy, whereas money spent at a national chain retailer gets taken out of state, being funneled back to corporate headquarters elsewhere. This helps local businesses stay afloat, who employ local people, and help strengthen our local communities. Furthermore, roughly 18 cents of the cost of produce goes to the grower, whereas 82 cents goes to distributors and other middlemen. By buying local we are ensuring the support and sustainability of our local farmers and local economy.

Image totally stolen from http://cleanhippie.wordpress.com

    The same goes for locally grown and locally made products. When we buy locally grown produce, locally raised meat, dairy, etc, we are supporting our local economy. However, there are also environmental benefits as well. According to this article, "It is estimated that groceries travel an average of 1,500 miles before they reach the consumer’s table." The amount of energy, fuel, and pollution that goes into bringing Fuji apples from Chile, or greenhouse tomatoes from the other side of the country is asinine when you stop and think about how little it takes to get produce grown locally. Large scale agribusiness is a wasteful industry, both in terms of energy and direct pollution. Our soils are continually being over farmed, weakened, and filled with toxic fertilizers that get into our drinking water. Knowing who and where your food comes from is an important part of being a consumer that we have gotten too far away from. By turning back to local farmers we are ensuring that our communities are strengthened by developing a system that is sustainable. 
   I know that it all sounds preachy and maybe a little hippy-ish, but please realize that we take a ton of this shit for granted. Certainly there is alot of luxury that we enjoy now, but we have to face reality and realize that we have been living under the false pretense that this lifestyle will support us forever. We have to be informed and make important choices that affect us directly. 
   A large part of the craft brewing movement is independence and freedom, and that is both in the methods we brew and the way we produce. There is a quality that is guaranteed when you choose a local beer. Local brewers and farmers are both big parts of our local communities, but they rely on each other, and upon local consumers to survive. 


There is tons more great info about local produce, etc at LocalHarvest.org, a website with which I am not personally affiliated. 


Up next: The Local Food System- How Brewers, Farmers, and Cooks can collaborate and innovate.