By now we are all aware of how locally grown foods are better for the environment, how they use less fuel in transportation and have less packaging, how they spur the local economy, support small scale farmers and their families and how it keeps our dollars in our community. These reasons alone are enough to make most people reconsider their seasonal buying habits. However, have you considered that eating food grown closer to home actually increases selection, food choices, preserves heritage stains and supports diversity in our local food system?

We in Canada are definitely a bit challenged to find fresh local foods in the dark months of winter. We can choose to buy ‘closer’ to home, try to eat more seasonally, and support farms and products with a great reputation and sustainable practices. Unfortunately, what is usually offered to us is bland, out of season food, available at all times, relatively inexpensive and of questionable origin and growing practices. Take the tomato. This is certainly a national year round favourite. Tomatoes are available at all times of the year, imported from the US, Mexico, and as far away as Turkey. This delicate fruit has to travel long distances to make it to our winter salads and sandwiches here up North. It’s no wonder that farmers around the world have taken to growing tomatoes that travel well, over other characteristics, to assure a ‘healthy’ harvest and return on investment.

In his book The End of Food: How the Food Industry is Destroying our Food Supply author Thomas F. Pawlick interviewed several growers and agronomists at the University of California to find out what the most desirable characteristics are when deciding on varieties of tomato to grow on a large scale. Here is the top seven- note where flavour and nutritional value appear on the list:

1. Yield
2. Large size
3. Firmness of skin (able to withstand thousands of pounds in transportation)
4. Disease resistance
5. Heat Tolerance
6. Consistent shape
7. Consistent ripening time

That’s right; flavour and nutritional value are not considered a desirable characteristic, though the growers aren’t to blame. The average tomato in the winter will travel at least 1000 miles to get to Canada. When there is demand for tomatoes in the winter, we get them, no taste and all. Though just look at how perfect they are. Even in the heat of summer, when local produce abounds in most communities in the country, conventional grocery stores tend to lean in the direction of carrying products of huge scale agriculture producers to meet the demand of our appetites and our wallets. Although many of these products may be grown in Canada, they still must be shipped across the country and be able to travel well. But how does this affect diversity? According to Thomas F. Pawlick there are at least 6000 North American tomato varieties known. Of this about 15 of these make it to big time production, all sure to withstand huge distances and storage conditions, and most likely exhibiting those top seven characteristics. However it is not just the tomato that suffers the demands of a never-ending season. Demand for the cheapest, at all times of year, reduces variety to the tough skinned few for the majority of our produce.

If you have had enough of cardboard vegetables that have had their fair share of food miles, there is a solution: local, fresh, heritage varieties, warmed by our summer sun. You may never go back. Small farms are able to grow different varieties of produce because their products do not have to endure long travel and storage times. Taste and nutrition can again be a priority in the growing of food. Farmers who grow for local markets have much more freedom when choosing varieties of fruits and vegetables than farmers who grow for export. In turn, we get more variety in tastes, textures and more nutritional value. We can encourage our farmers to grow these lesser known varieties by purchasing them when available. Celebrate the diversity, and the new flavours. Farmers who grow for local markets need not grow varieties of food that travel well or last for weeks on the grocery store shelf. Produce grown for local markets ripens with its roots in the soil, securing the most nutrients and developing the most complex and rich flavours.

Our local farmers are constantly experimenting with new varieties, and reintroducing long-forgotten strains, though supply will only be based demand. We, as consumers must support this return to growing variety in the Kootenays. In Nelson we are so very fortunate to have 2 weekly Farmer’s Markets throughout the harvest season and a year round community owned natural foods Co-op, regularly offering local, fresh, different, delicious and nutritious produce. Challenge yourself to eat more locally grown produce this harvest season when at its height of freshness and look for those most unfamiliar. Visit the markets, meet the farmers, and try some heritage potatoes, peppers, yams, garlic, Asian greens, and Romanesco broccoli. If you are lucky you may find some unique tomatoes as well. Enjoy the Harvest.

Learn more about eating local and challenge yourself to eat more local food this harvest season, visit: http://www.kootenayfood.ca