Locavore: New Word, Old Tradition for Seeking Locally-Produced Food

Article and Photo (Tangerini Spring Street Farm, Millis, MA) by Eric H.
The New Oxford American Dictionary recently declared the word "Locavore" as the 2007 word of the year. Simply put, a Locavore is "Someone whose diet consists of food grown or produced within an area most commonly bound by a 100-mile radius of their home. Locavores usually shun large supermarket chains, opting for farmer's markets and local gardens instead. It is also a current trend for many high-end restaurants as well."

We're really not into trends or people who "go green" just because it's popular, but we do like the idea of shopping locally for food in New England. It's many times cheaper, the food is usually more nutrient dense as it's fresh off the local farm, and often void of chemicals. In the Boston area, we really enjoy finding fresh produce at Jane and Paul's Farm in Norfolk (seasonal), Belkin Lookout Farm in Natick, Wilson's Farm in Lexington, Verrill Farm in Concord, Tangerini's Spring Street Farm in Millis (seasonal) and Big Apple Farm in Wrentham (seasonal). As examples, we enjoy picking blueberries at Big Apple Farm in July and August, apples at Jane and Paul's Farm in September, and shopping for meats and seasonal produce year-round at Wilson's Farm and Lookout Farm. Sometimes, these farms might not be all "local," so label read carefully and don't be afraid to ask the owners and hired help questions.

While we will never call ourselves "Locavores," we welcome the new word to our language. More importantly, we always welcome fresh, locally produced food to our dining table!

We'd love to hear where you shop for locally-produced food. Feel free to post!

Read more about healthy New England at VisitingNewEngland.com