True Benefits of a Local Diet
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Abstract
By Neal Moser, Environmental Studies
Advisor: Amy Townsend-Small
Presentation ID: PM_ATRIUM08
Abstract: The goal of this project is to challenge 20+ people to know where their food comes from and to economically support local food production. I will encourage a group of my friends and family to eat 1-3 full meals per week for 1 month in which every (feasible) component comes from within ~200 miles of their home. When I say food from any source from within 200 miles, that excludes large factory farming and monocropping operations which ship their products nationwide/globally. It may not be possible for people to find salt, certain spices, etc. from within 200 miles, but the major components of each target meal (referring to the proteins/fruits and vegetables/fats and oils) should be found locally. I will ask participants to list each ingredient used, where they it came from, whether it local or not, in order to build food source consciousness. I will also have the participants keep track of the price of each meal and compare those costs to the meals bought from conventional sources and those from local farms, etc. Finally, for each recorded meal I will ask the participants to rank their meal across several variables, i.e. relative ease, cost, flavor, feeling of health, overall satisfaction, etc. in order to track the relative benefits of the individual coming from a local diet.