The word, "locavore," was coined on the West Coast and has spread like wildfire across the Plains States, into the Midwest and up the Eastern Seaboard. The concept of being a locavore has been around since the beginning of time. Any reader of Barbara Kingsolver can attest to the romantic ideals locavores carry with them and the high standards they hold themselves and their families to. I, for one, consider myself a locavore for the most part and am glad I do.

What, exactly, is a locavore, you ask? Well, in a nutshell, its a person who has dedicated him- or herself to eating food that is local, as opposed to grown (or manufactured) in, say, South America, Mexico or even a neighboring state. Europeans have always eaten this way. But Americans, due mostly to corporate things I would rather not get in to, are notorious for eating way beyond their means and far outside the natural order of things. So along came the locavores, who are here to remind us all that even small choices, like what we eat for dinner, have an impact on the world.

Basically, when it comes to eating like a locavore, the rule of thumb is 100 miles. If there are blueberries in season within 100 miles of your house, then buy them locally and eat them without guilt. But forget about blueberries in the dead of winter in Vermont (unless you happen to know a very resourceful greenhouse grower). The main point of the locavore movement is to support local growers, get back to our culinary roots, reduce our carbon footprint (by buying locally, in theory, we use less fossil fuels than buying from around the world), fight obesity and cultivate a healthy relationship with the foods we eat.

With gas prices, environmental crisis, financial woes, beer-bellied teens and a high focus on international relations, its no wonder so many of us are interested in joining the locavore movement. Eating local is, by far, better for the environment, local farmers, your pocketbook and your taste buds. Its definitely better than eating McDonald's. Its a way for us to get back to our roots, quit worring about everyone else, lose a few pounds, do something good for the planet and help out our neighbors all in one swoop. Sounds great, doesn't it? Yes it does. But beware of the challenges that come with eating local.

The biggest challenge locavores face is where to get their food. For most grocery stores, it is not in their best interests to carry local food. Most farmer's markets (at least in the majority of the country) are closed during the winter. So where does that leave consumers? Driving away a large chunk of their weekend, visiting one farmer for eggs, another farmer for milk, another farmer for meat and yet another farmer for veggies. The shortage of local produce makes being a locavore a challenge and a serious commitment.

The bottom line is, locavores are resourceful individuals who are willing to work a bit more than normal in order to do something they believe in. Most of them have personal relationships with farmers or carpool with other locavores on monthly shopping trips. Even more of them grow their own food when they can't find what they like locally. Most of them have a few "must-have" items on their list that, though these items aren't and never will be local, buy them anyway to keep themselves and their families happy (like cinnamon and kumquats). But all of them practice eating with the seasons and are very conscious of their food choices and how those choices affect their community.

Learn more about this author, Jessica Kaaz.
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