Eat local. Eat local. Those words are spoken (and heard) so much. We know we should do it, sometimes without even knowing why. What are the reasons we should be choosing local food when possible? First and foremost, local food just tastes better. Compare a locally grown cantaloupe with one that has been trucked halfway across the country, or even from another country. Which one tastes better? The local one. It's fresher and sweeter and it's probably even a prettier color. Local food has less impact on the environment; it doesn't have to travel far to get to us, and in the case of fruits and vegetables, they are often grown organically. And buying local products puts money back into the local economy and supports your friends and neighbors. As a RI children's photographer, supporting fellow local businesses is very important to me.

So what are the best ways to get local products into your diet? It's not always as easy as walking into your local supermarket and easily finding what products are locally grown or made, but it also doesn't have to be hard. Read below to find four ways to eat more local food!

Some of my own local products: watermelon and garlic from my CSA at Greenview Farm in South Kingstown, eggs from Pat's Pastured, and kombucha homemade by me.

GROW, RAISE, OR MAKE YOUR OWN. This is as local as it gets: your own garden, chickens to lay eggs just for you, or making your own products, like my homemade kombucha. Your level of success with this will depend on your time, patience, and, in the case of livestock, zoning laws.
JOIN A CSA OR VISIT A FARMER'S MARKET. A CSA is a great way to get local produce (and sometimes other products) for part or all of the year. My family has a half share from Greenview Farm in South Kingstown, and Tuesdays are the best day of the week from June through October because it's farm day! Farmers' markets very often run all year round and are a wonderful source of not only local produce but other local products like honey, maple syrup, grass fed meat, breads and pastries, and more. Find both CSA locations and farmer's market locations near you at farmfresh.org.
FIND OUT IF YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET HAS ANY LOCAL PRODUCTS. Rhode Island-owned supermarkets such as Belmont Market or Dave's have quite a few local products. But even the larger chains are starting to get more local products in. Stop and Shop carries some Narragansett Creamery cheeses, for example. It never hurts to ask a store manager or associate what local products their store carries!
EAT AT A RESTAURANT THAT SERVES LOCAL PRODUCTS. Are you someone who likes to eat out rather than in? There are lots of restaurants that feature many local foods. Matunuck Oyster Bar in South Kingstown and Celestial Cafe in Exeter are just two South County locales that are heavy on the local fare, but there are so many others that include local meats, cheeses, veggies, breads (even gluten free!) and more in their menu offerings.

Do you have a favorite way to enjoy local foods? Let me know in the comments!

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