All stories about "Locavores"

Given all the hoopla about sustainable eating and whatnot, it might be a little surprising to hear that of all the industries tracked in a recent study, food service is the least green: "'However, the Food Services sector had the lowest average (11.5 out of 100) of any of the eight sectors measured with smallest overall improvement.' Why is it so difficult for food service companies to go green? One difficulty is obviously sourcing locally grown food. As Alice Waters discovered when she first tackled the Edible Schoolyard, it's difficult to raise enough organic food to feed a large number of people. On average, organic food, because of the loss factor, takes at least 20-40% more land than conventionally raised food to generate the same harvest." [Ecopreneurist]

All kinds of blogs have found ways to use the LolCat treatment on unsuspecting subjects, but this is the first time we've ever seen a Lolcavore photoshop job, in this case of local food obsessive Jessica Prentice. Explains the creator: "I could not help misreading locavore / localvore as being prefixed by lol-, and then could not help but apply appropriate text to a photo." Unlike many others, we would gladly welcome a blog devoted to pictures of locavore freaks, farmers market vendors, and of course, Alice Waters, David Kinch and Michael Pollan. Well, maybe. [Language Log via Eater]

Michael Bauer defends the growing sentiment that some restaurants might be are full of it when they advertise themselves as hyper-local: "It's true that some restaurants take poetic license when they talk about their locally and sustainably produced food. Generally not everything can come from their back door, so many restaurants have to make decisions that give diners what they want and still fit their philosophy, which is where the sustainable part may come in." Bonus sustainable fodder, courtesy of one Eric Ripert: "Organic and sustainable doesn't mean that your product is good." [BauerBlog, Cutlets]

"Locavore" is the Oxford American Dictionary's word of the year: "'Locavore' was coined two years ago by a group of four women in San Francisco who proposed that local residents should try to eat only food grown or produced within a 100-mile radius. Other regional movements have emerged since then, though some groups refer to themselves as 'localvores' rather than 'locavores.' However it’s spelled, it’s a word to watch." Well, this certainly won't help the Bay Area's sense of self-righteousness. [OUP]