Do you buy locally?

Food miles are obviously a big issue. Do you buy food locally and if so how much of your shop is purchased locally?

[roqchiq]

Hubby and I get an organic veg box every week. It comes from Herefordshire and we're in Brum so I guess that's more than the recommended 30 miles, plus some of the produce comes from overseas, but it's generally more local than the stuff in the supermarket.

While we were on holiday in Barmouth I noticed that the Co-op there hightlighted which products were local (ie: Welsh); I wish ours would do that too. (highlight local produce, not Welsh!)

[marie]

Unfortunately, no local farmers grow organically that i am aware of. I would have to drive 60 miles to get to a Whole Foods market, and even then i would bet most products there aren't local. Most people in my area don't even know what organic means.

I always try to but one look at a local supermarket tells you that I'm very much in the minority. After all they're in business to sell as much as they can. If you go to France their stores are chockablock with locally produced produce and the French would be up in arms at anything less. Yet we in Britain seem it right and proper that we have bottled water from Italy, potatoes from Holland and apples from France, despite there being perfectly suitable home grown products available.

I had an excess of home-grown vegetables, so I picked them, drove five minutes to the local farm produce stall and incquired if they would like them, only to be told that they could not sell them as that would be in breach of EU rules and regulations. Madness

[leonora]

Originally Posted by Rog

I always try to but one look at a local supermarket tells you that I'm very much in the minority. After all they're in business to sell as much as they can. If you go to France their stores are chockablock with locally produced produce and the French would be up in arms at anything less. Yet we in Britain seem it right and proper that we have bottled water from Italy, potatoes from Holland and apples from France, despite there being perfectly suitable home grown products available.

Not just the stores, the markets too....we have farmers' markets, of course, but not to the extent they have in France...and Italy, come to think of it. What I especially love is going to the market in Livorno, where there are vast quantities of locally grown fruit and veg....AND locally produced cheese. The pecorino and ricotta are especially wonderful.....I know you CAN get these in England, but they are never the same as the fresh local produce.
OTOH, we have a lot of cheeses that you can't get in Italy, so I suppose it balances itself out.....

[leonora]

Originally Posted by greeniegee

I had an excess of home-grown vegetables, so I picked them, drove five minutes to the local farm produce stall and incquired if they would like them, only to be told that they could not sell them as that would be in breach of EU rules and regulations. Madness

this must have been a total pain! What did you do with the veg in the end?
What regulations, anyway?

I ended up giving them to as many family and friends as possible. They didn't say exactly what rule it was I was breaking but they were adament there was one

[Sandycane]

Feel free to call me stupid but, I just received (Monday) a box of 100% organic groceries that I ordered over the internet.
They came from CA. and I spent $100 on the food and $34 for shipping and handling.
Everything I've sampled so far is great- I just ate the best pancakes I've tasted since I was a kid.
I checked for local organic food stores locally and the closest is 45 min. away. I figure the time and gas I saved was well worth the sh.& hdl. chg.

I called Walmart two days ago and asked the manager if they sold any organic food and he said yes- it's mixed in with the 'other' food. I'll be going Saturday on a little hunting expedition to see what they have although, I would rather buy from a smaller company.

btw, the spiral pasta I ate last night was made from spinach.

[organicglow]

I'd love to be able to buy locally! There is some stuff available but unfortunately I can't seem to find some of the vegetables that we eat the most of, like brocolli and cauliflower!! Whats up with that?