Sunday July 17, 2011 The Locavore Movement

Summer in Thunder Bay is the perfect time to start (or continue) eating local. The locavore movement simply means to eat local, and it is by no means a new concept. Locavores believe that local foods taste better, and support the local economy/environment. With farms, markets, and co-ops in full swing there are oodles of fresh local foods from which to choose. Whether you want to pick up something already prepared for tonight’s supper, groceries for the week, or the fixings to get your own local food sources started at home, you’re sure to find what you need in/around the city. After the long hard winter of Northwestern Ontario, we deserve the abundance that a Thunder Bay summer has to offer. As always, your public library strives to add to that abundance by bringing in all sorts of books that cover different aspects of the locavore movement. From food politics to recipes and sustainable lifestyles, we have something for everyone.

Did you know that the average ingredient travels over 2400 kilometres to show up on our plates? That’s going to be one tired tomato if you ask me. The authors of THE 100-MILE DIET thought so too and set out to spend an entire year eating only what was produced within 100 miles of their Vancouver home.

CBC Radio host Sarah Elton published LOCAVORE in March 2010. Her story begins with a cookie revelation and develops into a model of how farmers, chefs, and consumers can change the way Canada thinks about food.

Last year a fellow library staffer told me about her experience reading EATING ANIMALS by Jonathan Safran Foer. A 2009 Booklist review stated that this book “asks philosophical questions, such as why we eat such smart and affectionate animals as pigs but not dogs. Foer brings extraordinary artistry, clarity, valour, and compassion to this staggering investigation into the ethics, horrors, and dangers of factory farming.” Well written and morally complex, this one might just make you rethink that next fast food burger.

Once you’ve been to the farm or market and have ingredients, check out some of our local cooking recipe books. Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse recently came out with FARM TO FORK: COOKING LOCAL, COOKING FRESH (2010). According to Publishers Weekly, this collection is “full of flavorful recipes presented with simplicity and minimal chitchat...[Lagasse] focuses on using fresh, local ingredients. This collection focuses on fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and seafood, with just a little poultry and pork thrown in for good measure. Chapters are broken out as if dividing up a garden. Corn, beans, and squash over here; broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower over there. Leafy greens, root vegetables, and orchard fruits all get their due, with space left for winter fruits and nightshades.”

For a seasonal recipe set, try THE HARVEST EATING COOKBOOK: MORE THAN 200 RECIPES FOR COOKING WITH SEASONAL LOCAL INGREDIENTS by Keith Snow. This book promotes harvest eating as “a lifestyle that promotes good health and sustainability by encouraging the eating of foods grown locally and naturally without the use of harmful pesticides or other damaging chemicals.”


In addition to the food, the locavore movement focuses on a sustainable lifestyle. The library carries many books on running an energy efficient home, using eco-friendly crafting methods, and guides on raising your own farm animals. Check out titles such as THE JOY OF KEEPING FARM ANIMALS: RAISING CHICKENS, GOATS, PIGS, SHEEP AND COWS by Laura Childs. This summer, make a change and go local.


Jesse Roberts, Head of Reference Services