Guess who made the top 10 food trends of the year? Answer: The Midwestern Food Movement! The Food Channel’s top-ten list highlights farm fresh foods such as root vegetables, steak and chicken recipes with a contemporary edge. This reminds me of menu items at my local cafés like BBQ Short Ribs with Ohio Peaches or a Chicken Sandwich with Fresh Basil Pesto. What Midwestern Food do you like to eat and prepare?
The Midwest represents a large area, so what is “local” food? There is not one definition for local food. Depending on the restaurant, grocery store or even personal definition, “local” could be defined by miles the food travels to reach your plate or “local” could be within a certain geographic area like a county and surrounding counties or even within the state. Ohio Proud is the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s marketing program which identifies food and agricultural products made and grown in the state. Depending on where you live in the state, your personal definition of “local” could also include food grown and produced in bordering states. For gardeners, local food could be as close as the back door.
What is the value of purchasing locally grown food? Local purchases can help strengthen the local economy. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, “locally-owned retainers, such as farmers markets, return more than three times as much of their sales to the local economy compared to chain competitors.” Eating in-season, when produce is most abundant, can often benefit the household grocery budget. When the produce is most abundant, it tends to cost less. Fresh, local food is an ideal option for home food preservation like canning, freezing and drying as a way to enjoy local food all year long.
Although everyone’s taste is different, a commonly touted benefit of local food is that it tastes better. Local produce very likely could taste better, especially if it’s picked at the peak of ripeness, if it’s a variety that was chosen for flavor and taste and not for long travel, and if there’s a personal connection with the grower and the food. Isn’t it great that our “local” food in the Midwest is taking center stage?
