The Red and Black

Issue date: 8/20/07 Section: Variety

Media Credit: JOSH D. WEISS Earth Fare is one of a few stores in Athens that sells locally grown fruits and vegetables. [Click to enlarge]

With rising concern for enviromental awareness, many are turning to locally grown food for an alternative to shopping at grocery stores.

"It's important that our generation is aware of the direction our country's food industry is heading," said Jennifer Piper, a sophomore from Marietta. "We need to be more aware of the impact that say, shipping a banana from Central America to a local supermarket has on the environment."

Although organic food means less chemicals are used, organics still have to be shipped - wasting packaging, vehicle emissions and unnecessary handling.

"Local farms practice sustainable produce while large factory farms focus mainly on mass production and profit," Piper said. "Sustainable farms use food production methods that are healthier, do not harm the environment, are more humane to animals and support farming communities."

Shopping locally for food can be costly.

However, sticking to dairy and produce helps keep the body and environment looking good. It ends up costing no more than the organic section in a grocery store.

"On a college budget, it is hard to stay strictly organic or local. Some items, such as local fruits, are sweeter and juicier," said Britt Cantrell, a junior from Canton. "So I buy them from farmers markets or the occasional produce stand along the highway."

There are several farmers markets and produce stands leading to and around Athens.

The city has many health food stores supporting locally grown food, including Daily Groceries Co-op, Earth Fare, Argo's Farmers Market and Athens Locally Grown.

Athens Locally Grown is unique in that instead of shopping in a store, buyers shop online on Mondays and Tuesdays. Then, they pick up their orders Thursdays from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Gosford Wine.

Big City Bread offers more than just orange juice with their Saturday breakfast. Local vendors set up tables from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. to sell fresh, locally grown food at competitive prices.

Even restaurants are joining in - Full Moon Cooperative, a farm in Athens, supplies Farm 255's all-local menu.

Locally grown food is all over Athens, giving more options to buyers and helping the local economy.

"It is, for me, about quality of life," Cantrell said. "I don't feel the need to tell people how to shop for groceries, but I won't mind telling them how comforted I feel buying thoughtfully produced food."

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