Are you familiar with the term “localvore”? Localvores, broadly defined, are people who focus on consuming locally produced foods. The idea behind localvore-ism is that when a person buys locally, the local economy, region, and environment are strengthened since money stays within the region, relationships are formed between producer and buyer, and fewer resources are needed to move the food such a short distance.
The localvore movement seems to be expanding as our society’s environmental conscience grows. There are CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) that allow consumers to purchase shares of harvests directly from farmers, cooperatively owned markets cropping up across the country, and a resurgence of farmers’ markets. The localvore movement now goes beyond just food and embraces all consumer trade goods. Groups have popped up across the country that educate consumers to buy regionally produced goods, many of which are handmade. At the very least, localvores stress to “buy American”, which saves countless pounds of emissions and particulates in our environment due to a savings of fuel usage during transportation.
One company, scrubs uniform manufacturing business, Sassy Scrubs, embraces the localvore ideals. Every single medical uniform, lab coat, and surgical cap that carries their company name is custom cut, sewn, and distributed from their home base in rural New York. They point out that their scrubs are sewn in the USA. Purchasing products from companies such as Sassy Scrubs supports the localvore movement by purchasing their “homegrown” products rather than those made and hauled from overseas manufacturers. Thus, it is not only a patriotic practice to attempt to, it is an environmentally sound practice as well.
When you want to drive sustainability, decrease the squandering of our limited resources, and foster environmentally friendly practices, be sure to think locally. Join the localvore campaign and consume locally produced foods and other consumer goods, for the safety of our environment, and for your own conscience.
