.Think Globally, Eat Locally

Make a resolution to eat right by cutting down on pesticides and petroleum.

The typical New Year’s resolutions always include eating less and
exercising more. But this year, how about finally deciding to eat
right? That is, eat what’s best not only for you, but for the
environment. You also might discover that it’s liberating to break out
of old habits and discover new foods. You can also finally find out
when it’s important to buy organic, locally grown fruits and
vegetables, and when it’s okay to save that extra buck the next time
you find yourself in the produce aisle of Berkeley Bowl.

The first step to a more eco-friendly you is a handy guide produced
by the Environmental Working Group. Although it’s been around for a
while, the “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce” is a great tool
for deciding when it’s vital to buy organic. The guide, produced in
2006, lists more than forty nonorganic fruits and vegetables that
contain the most concentrated amounts of pesticide residue, based on an
extensive computer analysis of pesticide testing by the US Department
of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration.

The guide’s “Dirty Dozen,” that is, the twelve most pesticide-laden
fruits and vegetables, are: (1) peaches; (2) apples; (3) sweet bell
peppers; (4) celery; (5) nectarines; (6) strawberries; (7) cherries;
(8) lettuce; (9) imported grapes; (10) pears; (11) spinach; and (12)
potatoes. Note that in every case, these fruits or vegetables are
typically consumed whole.

By contrast, the “Cleanest 12,” the fruits and vegetables that
contain the least amount of pesticide residue, according to the guide,
are: (1) onions; (2) avocadoes; (3) sweet corn; (4) pineapples; (5)
mangoes; (6) sweet peas; (7) asparagus; (8) kiwis; (9) bananas; (10)
cabbage; (11) broccoli; and (12) eggplant. And what do these fruits and
vegetables have in common? They’re typically — though not always
— peeled before being eaten. For the complete guide, go to
EWG.com and search for the “Shopper’s
Guide to Pesticides in Produce.” The guide comes in a convenient,
wallet-sized format.

Overall, the effects of pesticides on human health is not well
understood, and in some cases, not studied at all. But according to the
Environmental Working Group, there is a growing consensus that small
doses of pesticides can adversely affect people, especially pregnant
mothers and small children. So, from a personal health perspective, it
makes sense to head down the organic aisle when shopping for apples,
lettuce, strawberries, peaches, etc. But it probably won’t do you that
much harm if you try to save money and buy nonorganic onions,
avocadoes, asparagus, bananas, etc.

But what about the effects of pesticides on the environment?
“Usually, they’re tied pretty closely to the effects on human health,
but because of how pesticides are applied, they’re not always the
same,” said Ben Feldman, program manager for the Berkeley Farmer’s
Market. But there are parallels. “Take strawberries,” Feldman added,
noting that strawberries tested with some of the highest concentrations
of pesticides. “They’re treated with methyl bromide, which is probably
one of the most destructive pesticides. It basically sterilizes the
soil.”

But there’s more to eating right than avoiding pesticide-laced
produce. One of the best ways to help curtail greenhouse gas emissions,
for example, is to buy locally grown foods. “Stuff that’s flown in from
South America has a massive carbon footprint,” Feldman noted.
Fortunately, Northern California is home to some of the best farmland
anywhere. And because of our temperate climate, not to mention our
unique microclimates, it’s possible to grow lots of different foods
year-round. “You might be able to grow lettuce at one point in the year
in Davis, but then you might be able to grow at another point in Santa
Cruz,” Feldman explained.

In fact, there are more than sixty different kinds of foods grown
and raised locally year-round, according to a great second tool for
eating right — “The Local Foods Wheel” for the San Francisco Bay
Area. Produced by professional chef Jessica Prentice and her friends
Sarah Kline and Maggie Gosselin, the wheel also shows what locally
grown foods are available during specific times of the year. But don’t
fret; even if you’re a creature of habit, like Eco Watch, you can still
buy some of your favorite foods whenever you want them without having
to fly them in from Chile or Mexico.

Year-round Bay Area grown fruits and vegetables include: lettuce,
carrots, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and broccoli. Year-round
locally raised meats and seafood include beef, chicken, lamb, oysters,
and clams. Eggs are also available anytime along with milk, butter, and
cheeses. And of course, there’s Eco Watch’s personal favorite —
wine. To get the complete list, the wheel is available in Berkeley at
the Ecology Center on San Pablo, Mrs. Dalloway’s bookstore on College
Avenue, and Pegasus books on Shattuck Avenue. In Oakland, it’s
available at the Pasta Shop in Rockridge. For more places, check out
LocalFoodsWheel.com.

But if you’re intent on going local all the time, then you’ll have
to give up some of your ingrained habits. You just won’t be able to
make the same salad every day with the same ingredients. But what
you’ll lose in familiarity, you’ll gain in discovering new food that
tastes good, because it’s fresh, and not ripened artificially after
being picked green in Latin America. “You have to pay attention to what
tastes good, and when it tastes good,” Feldman noted.

So what’s available now? The best place to buy locally grown foods,
organic or otherwise, is at your closest farmer’s market. And according
to the wheel, celery, cabbage, wild mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts are
just some of the veggies currently in season in the Bay Area. Of
course, it’s also prime time for turkeys and Dungeness crab.

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