Local food is better food: Food Action Network

Local food tastes better and is better for you.

That’s the message a local food network is trying to spread, and it’s why The Food Action Network is encouraging Thunder Bay residents to get fresh with local food producers with a 2011 guide to local food. It’s the fourth edition of the guide.

Network chairwoman Catherine Schwartz-Mendez said eating local is good for health, the economy and the environment.

"We know that food travels huge distances to get to us so the closer to home we can buy our food the better and it leads to better food security for our city," she said. "It’s also a lot fresher and tastes a lot better when it’s picked right away and eaten right away."

The guide features local farmers, markets and restaurants that feature local food. The guide launch coincides with the Thursday evening opening of the Thunder Bay Country Market at the CLE.

Schwartz-Mendez said the trend towards local food is growing.

"The local food movement is definitely growing across the country," she said. "People are recognizing that local food is really important for our environment."

Caribou Restaurant & Wine Bar head chef and manager Craig Vieira said his restaurant uses local food whenever possible from cheese to meat to seasonable vegetables.

"Whatever we can get our hands on," said Vieira. "As things kind of progress we just see what’s available and we generate our specials or even our menu around what’s available."

As a chef, Vieira said it doesn’t get any better than being able to use vegetables that were picked and delivered that day.

"There’s so much flavour and it looks so good because they were just picked," he said. "I find you don’t have to do a lot to it just enjoy it."

Copies of the guide are available at the Thunder Bay Country Market or online at www.nwofood.ca.