I stumbled upon this neat short video about how to reduce our carbon foot print by changing our eating habits. I lived in Houston, T.X. for quite a while and I was baffled to see that plenty of the produce I'd buy at the grocery store were brought from all over the world. Not necessarily from the neighboring countries. Case example: coconuts where shipped from Indonesia. Yes! from Indonesia! Most; if not all types of tomatoes like Roma, Cherry, Cherub, etc where imported from Mexico as well as avocados which at times were imported from Chile too. Just to mention some.
Now I live in this beautiful town called Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and I every time I buy produce at the farmers markets around I ask the vendors about the origin of their produce. I'm glad to find out when it's grown in the neighboring towns or states.The produce is seasonal. I must say that waiting a whole year for an specific produce makes the first bite taste heavenly divine! Every year I watch for the blooming season of Mango trees -yummy!- My favorite fruit.
Dairy products come from a small town that's just about an hour drive from PV -short for Puerto Vallarta- So less transportation means less environmental impact. In other words the less distance between where the food is grown or raised and your table the better. And that also means fresher and tastier food. Another benefit is the support of the local economy. And your pocket also appreciates the fact that your food does not go trough lots of intermediaries.
I must admit that when I arrived to this town I did all my grocery shopping at the supermarket. I knew little about where to find farmers markets in the area, but now that I've found them I'm glad to do my little contribution to the planet, the local economy, my pocket, and not to mention I get to eat fresher and tastier foods! Hey, it's a win-win situation!
Give us a call if you are interested in growing your own food regardless if you live in a home with a huge backyard or only have a tiny terrace. We can offer you advice on how to do it, or if you are a teacher and are interested in having us give your class a talk about urban gardening or any topic mentioned in these series of blogs.
Cell: 322 105 2856 Ask for Star Velasco
info.arkitektonika@yahoo.com
