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Local Foods for the Holidays in Maine?
Once Just a Trickle, Now They're Going Mainstream
By Roger Doiron of the Eat Local Foods Coalition (ELFC) of Maine.

According to a new book released last week by the WorldWatch Institute, the world finds itself in the midst of a local food revolution, signs of which are already in evidence in Maine.

"Eating local is the next frontier in the American diet," says the book's author Brian Halweil. "People everywhere are taking control of their food supply to protect themselves from mad cow disease, heavy pesticide use, agro-terrorism, and urban sprawl. They want to know who grows their food and where it comes from."

While Halweil draws upon statistics from across the world to make his argument, Maine offers an excellent case study for how this new way of producing and eating food is taking hold. Consider the following data:

--Maine saw a 10% increase in the number of new small farms between 1997 and 2002, according to the latest Census of Agriculture, the highest rate of increase in the Northeast region.

--Maine was one of the few states to see an increase in the number of acres in farms during the period 1997-2002.

--Maine has seen a steady increase in the number of farms selling directly to consumers via farmers' markets and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) operations. One high-profile example of this shifting food ethic can be seen in Maine's own first family who are members of CSA farm.

--A new awareness of the gastronomic advantages of local foods reinforced by a growing number of Maine chefs, a number of whom have gained national recognition for their use of local ingredients.

--A measurable increase in the number of artisanal food producers in Maine over the past five years including bakers and cheese-makers.

While this push for "food democracy" is surging, its long term success will depend on moving local food beyond farmers markets. The social and economic stakes are higher than most people realize. Few parents, chefs, and others preparing holiday meals realize how far many of their ingredients may have traveled to reach them. In the United States, food now travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, as much as 25 percent farther than two decades ago.

Long-distance travel requires more packaging, refrigeration, and fuel, and generates huge amounts of waste and pollution.

There are economic advantages, too. When shoppers buy locally grown food, they help keep money and jobs in the local economy. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association has estimated that if every Maine family were to spend $10 per week on local foods, it would add up to over $100 million staying in the Maine economy.

For more information on the new WorldWatch publication, go here: Eat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket, by Brian Halweil