Food for Thought

While meandering through the web today, I discovered a heap of local food resources I thought I ought to share.

First, is the Eat Well Guide.  This is an amazing tool that lets you search for farmer's markets, CSAs, and farms anywhere across the country!  I would really recommend this for anyone who might be traveling and looking to stop at some regional markets.  There's even a section called "Eat Well Everywhere" which helps you plan where to eat and stop on your trips.  Definitely going to be using this next time I go on vacation (which will, admittedly, not be any time soon!).

Next up is the FoodRoutes Network.  This website is home to a bunch of handy guides on how to eat local and where and how to shop to make that happen within a budget.  There's a lot of information on how to start a "Farm to College" healthy-eating-on-campus chapter, so UW students, if we're not already doing this, we should!  FoodRoutes also has a cool challenge: try and spend just $10/week at your local markets.  According to their website, "[a] recent study in Maine shows that shifting just 1% of consumer expenditures to direct purchasing of local food products would increase farmers' income by 5%."  I think this $10/week idea is really great, especially for us broke college students.  Let's try it out this Saturday at the U District Farmers Market.


Edible Seattle: This magazine, published every two months, celebrates the bounty of the Puget Sound region, advocating for our local foodways and farmers. Part of a national group of publications, there's a lot of nice web content, and a really sweet podcast. 


Lastly, the Food and Water Watch.  Confused about what seafood is safe/not safe or sustainable to eat? Well here's a great seafood eating guide for you!  With the slogan "Know your fish, know your water, know your food," the Food and Water Watch is an amazing multifaceted resource. Tips and tools for living and eating well. 


Enjoy!