Locavore: From the Latin word “Locus”, meaning “local” and “Vorare”, meaning “to devour”.
Jessica Prentice created the term Locavore in 2005. According to her, the term refers to “a person who bases their diet on foods that are grown or produced in the geographic region where they live, are in touch with the seasonality of their food systems, and seek to cultivate relationships with local producers and processors. Locavores also have some kind of hands on interaction with their food (cooking, gardens, baking, fermenting) either domestically or professionally.”
Jessica is part of a movement of people across the United States who are committed to relocalizing their food system. She values the relationships she shares with her food producers, knowing that face certification is as important as other forms of labeling when making decisions about where to buy her food.
Featuring: Jessica Prentice, Locavore
Location: Berkeley Farmers Market, Berkeley, CA
Short video: Why Eat Local?
In this short film from the Nourish Initiative, Michael Pollan explains why it’s important to eat local. For the past twenty-five years, Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where nature and culture intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in the built environment. He is the author of Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation (2013) and of four New York Times bestsellers: Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual (2010); In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto (2008); The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006) and The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World (2001). Pollan was named to the 2010 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people. In 2009 he was named by Newsweek as one of the top 10 “New Thought Leaders.”
Recipe: Squash Phyllo Triangles
Use up the abundance of summer squash flooding farmers markets and local stores this time of year in this crowd-pleasing dish.
Video: Local vs. Organic
In this film, two farmers, Edwin Marty of Alabama’s Jones Valley Urban Farm and Jay Martin of Provident Organic Farms in Bivalve, Maryland, weigh in on local versus organic, and why a piece of paper may not ensure you’re getting the best food available.
When it comes to local versus organic, what do you think is most important when buying food? What are your favorite local foods? Tell us on Twitter and Facebook, and follow us for more on locavore throughout the week.
For the past three years, the Lexicon of Sustainability has sought out the foremost practitioners of sustainability in food and farming to gain their insights and experiences on this important subject. What began as a photography project to spread their knowledge has grown to include short films, study guides, traveling shows, a book, and a website where people can add their own terms to this ever-evolving lexicon. See more at www.lexiconofsustainability.com.
