Government Eco-Action Mon: New Local Food Site Helps EducAte Consumers

Seeking to support local farmers but not sure how — especially now that many of the outdoor farmers’ markets are closed for the season? Well, you could start from the comfort of your living room, by visiting NationalCapitalFarms.org. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (MWCOG) Regional Agricultural Workgroup recently launched the site to promote and protect local agriculture in the metro DC area.

With partners that include local governments, farmers, farmers markets and other nongovernmental organizations, the Workgroup seeks to establish and maintain a National Capital Farms (NCF) network to address issues of regional coordination and advocacy. It also functions as a forum for sharing agricultural info among members, the farm community, elected officials and citizens.

Did you know that in the U.S., the average grocery store’s produce travels nearly 1,500 miles before reaching the consumer? And that about 40 percent of our fruit is produced overseas? Those are just a few of the facts available on NationalCapitalFarms.org

Linking consumers with producers and vendors, the site features an interactive regional map of network partners that helps consumers connect to producers and programs in their area. (Note: As the District doesn’t have any official NCF network partners (at least yet) and thus shows nothing when you click on the map, you can search for DC farmers markets and other services on the site’s home page).

You’ll also find an agricultural forum and classifieds for in-season produce, a calendar of events, lists of locally-sourced restaurants, educational programs and links to other local and national sustainable food- and farm-related sites.

In addition to supporting local farmers and helping maintain the local economy, the advantages of buying local include substantially reducing the distance food travels from farm to table — and the resulting CO2 emissions, knowing where your food comes from (and often, the ability to visit the farm itself — versus one that’s either out of the state or the country), protecting and sustaining the region’s remaining rural landscape, and offering citizens a chance to connect (as they did long ago) with the land as well as each other.

The fact is that many of us have gotten away from our roots thanks to our ultra-busy lives, hurriedly rushing in and out of supermarkets without really thinking about the origins of our food or who produced it. The National Capital Farms Network can teach us all to slow down a bit and enjoy the bounty that’s right here in our backyard. You just might need to turn off (OK, set down) that Blackberry for a bit though, and taste a real, local one.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC User bornOKthefirsttime