locavore

I have become much more concerned recently with how food choices impact individual and community health. I have tried as much as possible to become a locavore, only eating foods from within a 100 mile radius (though I find this challenging because of "necessary" foods like sugar, and my love for fruits and vegetables like bananas, pineapples and avocados that are clearly unavailable from a local source). I am also very concerned with the quality of foods I'm ingesting and a major focus of medical anthropology is the unknown long-term health consequences of pesticides, growth hormones and over processing that plague the majority of food available in North America. A great way of ensuring food security, autonomy and sustainability while creating strong community networks is to buy from places like local farmers markets.

This is a picture of the Hamilton Farmer's Market where I'm proud to say my family purchases the majority of our groceries. I feel privileged enough to know many of the vendors because of my mom's long-term consumerism and I think that no matter my location, local markets will always be something I support and enjoy. I think that creating and maintaining local food security has an untapped ability to build positive and nurturing relationships that advocate for peace based communities.

Community gardens are an exceptional way of promoting these relationships, especially within impoverished environments, and I would like to look into getting involved with one this upcoming summer.