Guild organizes Dine Local Week

Food lovers get an extra spoonful of homegrown this week.

The third annual Dine Local Week, which started Saturday and runs through Thursday, will bring Bloomington residents food from less than 50 miles away, breaking the current trend in American meals discovered by Iowa State University researchers.

In 2005, Rich Pirog, the associate director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, found that the milk, sugar and strawberries in his carton of strawberry yogurt collectively journeyed 2,211 miles just to reach the processing plant.

Iowa State University set out to analyze how far food in America travels. The researchers found produce travels more than 1,500 miles from farmlands to dinner tables.

“Restaurants are serving a wide variety of foods ranging from vegan to vegetarian to meat dishes along with a wide variety of prices,” said Katie Zukof, assistant director of the Local Growers Guild. “There will be something for everyone.”

This Tuesday night, Oliver Winery will stay open an hour later and serve a complimentary wine tasting. On Wednesday, The Lost River Market and Deli will provide not only homegrown food, but also “Homegrown Orange County Music.”  

“Laughing Planet decided to participate in Dine Local Week because eating local supports area farmers and is healthier for our environment,” said Michelle Griswold, an employee of Laughing Planet.

The restaurant is a member of the Local Growers Guild and will contribute to the event.

“We will be serving the Indiana Homegrown Burrito made with locally grown vegetables and choice of locally farmed chicken, tofu or seipan,” Griswold said. “All of the ingredients are local except for the beans.”  

This is different from the average American meal, which, according to London’s Thames Valley University, has ingredients from more than five different countries.

Due to the large amount of fossil fuels consumed to transport food, an international meal comes with a large carbon footprint and price tag for consumers.   

The Local Growers Guild aims to aid people in making not only healthier choices by buying local, but more economical and earth-friendly decisions as well.

”Our organization plays a special role in the community by connecting local farmers with markets and raising awareness about eating local,” Zukof said. “Eating local is more than just fruits and vegetables. (Bloomington residents) can look for meats, cheeses, eggs, flowers and honey from local farmers.”

For more information on Dine Local Week, including a full schedule of events, visit www.localgrowers.org.