What is it?
Locavore refers to a person or restaurant that is dedicated to using only foods (vegetables and/or meat) that are in season and sourced locally, being grown within a 100 mile radius, though never sacrificing culinary perfection
This is a much better way to support the environment due to the fact the food is transported less than 400 miles from its origin. Grocery store foods have often travelled more than 1500 miles to your grocery store. That’s a big difference in terms of our carbon footprint!
Who participates?
In terms of restaurants, there are several in the Toronto area that participate and actually pride themselves on being locavores so much that their branding reflects it
Café Belong: http://www.cafebelong.ca/
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Cafe Belong is Chef Brad Long’s labor of love, he is also the co-owner of Veritas and star of the Food Network's Restaurant Makeover. Situated at the Evergreen Brick Works, the focus is on sustainable food that is both organic and locally sourced.
Ruby Watch Co: http://rubywatchco.ca/
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Ruby Watch Co has just opened in the former Citizen space on Queen East. Former Restaurant Makeover star and Four Season head chef Lynn Crawford has completely transformed the space into a much more cozier environment featuring a changing daily prix fixe menu with an emphasis on local ingredients.
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Fanny Chadwick's, located at the corner of Howland and Dupont. Keeping with the local spirit, the restaurant prides itself on its use of locally sourced produce and meats (hormone and antibiotic free) and even all in-house made condiments.
Why this is better for the environment?
There is less travel, therefore less greenhouse gasses. It’s not just about how much we drive our own cars, but what about the products we buy? They often travel great distances to get to our favorite Toronto shops.
Less chemicals – Some countries use Calcium Carbide which contains arsenic and is a chemical used to ripen fruit picked early. Also, petroleum based fertilizers used in conventional farming contributes to soil erosion, pesticide contamination, and chemical runoff, further damaging our ecosystem
All organic – When being a true locavore, your produce and meats are organic therefore there are less chemicals being dumped in our environment, and often less water usage.
Being a locavore is a huge movement, and a positive one that will surely help our environment without sacrificing culinary excellence. Could you see yourself becoming a Canadian Locavore?
On the flip side though keep in mind there is always a con to every pro…Some argue that the greenhouse gasses emitted by the greenhouses used to grow produce in cold winter months is just as damaging to the Earth as shipping across countries.
