Gussow

The benefits of eating locally

Nutritionist, professor, author and local food advocate Joan Dye Gussow spoke with blogger Debbi Snook of the Plain Dealer on Tuesday at Ohio’s organic food conference. Since the 1970s Gussow has been promoting the local food movement and is glad to see that it is finally starting to catch on in some areas.

Joan Dye Gussow in her garden

Local ingredients are popping up in restaurants across the states. Using local ingredients can be difficult. Eating local means eating seasonally, and breaking the habit getting any thing at any time is hard to do. When consumers are so used to buying imported peaches in the middle of February, it’s difficult for them to part with that notion. Restaurants though are slowly beginning to see through this to the benefits such as helping the local economy, saving on shipping and providing customers with fresher foods.

It’s not just trendy health food restaurants of eco-friendly cafes that have hopped on board now. Hearty home-town diners have even seen the perks. In New Jersey, Vincetown Diner provides a typical middle-class working-man town with locally sourced ingredients. They are sure to not make the dining experience anything snobbish to put-off their costumers, they have just decided to support their neighbors. Continue reading →