What does sustainability and buying/eating local mean to you?

What does sustainability and buying/eating local mean to you? 

Sustainability is to eat off the land and to support local farmers who grow and nurture their own food. Sustainability also includes using the natural resources around you without depleting them or being harmful to the environment and to live a more healthily life and being sustainable all starts with eating locally. 

When someone tells me about eating locally, I immediately think of all the small restaurants and farmer’s markets, where I buy fresh fruits, vegetables etc… The idea of fresh food is so much more appealing to me than a huge company or a food chain (like McDonalds or Wendy’s) because the food in those places is often chemically tampered with or is not made freshly that day. There is nothing more disappointing to me than eating food that had been made prior to the date of purchase and had been packaged in bulk and frozen. The appeal to eat locally started when I was at an Ecuadorian food market. All the different types of seasonings, nuts, fruits, vegetables, fish, traditional dishes, etc… lined all of the rows in the traditional market. The smells and aromas that filled the air created an unforgettable smell that to this day I remember. The vast array of colors brightened the entire market along with all the different farmers who were trying to sell their products. The pleasure of knowing that my money is going to help a local family while also making me a healthier person is a plus and a great way to be sustainable while eating locally.