Real Time Farms

I've always found that it's much easier to stick to my values at home than it is out "in the world." For instance, Josh and I only buy meat that was grass-fed, had no hormones or growth steroids, and was raised using humane and sustainable practices (Niman Ranch is a shining example). However, while we feel perfectly comfortable interrogating the butcher at our local specialty grocery store before buying $25 worth of steak, we tend not to be as aggressively questioning with the very friendly college student waitress when picking up a quick sandwich at a local coney island for under $8.

I'm sure some would argue that I have the absolute right (and perhaps even responsibility) to ask about the restaurant's practices and there's definitely validity in this viewpoint. However, at this point in time with high unemployment rates and the rising cost of living, the ability to be choosy about food sources is a privilege and I would hate to be perceived as uppity in asking about local sourcing and organic certification in the middle of the restaurant.I suppose one way around this would be to make a phone call or send an email to the restaurant to avoid the in-person confrontation, but that's one of those things that's so far down on my to do list that it probably won't ever happen. 

 

Luckily, there is this great online resource: realtimefarms.com. At the site, you can enter your zip code and find out which local restaurants are purchasing produce and other food products from local farms and food artisans. Each entry has a small profile, a sample menu, and some photographs. What's even better, however, is that you can also search the other way, identifying a single farm and finding out what restaurants use their produce. Again, every farm has a small profile and some photographs, giving users a better sense of the people, produce, and the production process.

I think sites like this are great localization tools because they provide easier access to information that consumers need to make informed decisions. By joining the site, both food producers (e.g. farmers) and food purveyors (e.g. restaurants) can show their commitment to a certain type of sustainable, local food system and in doing so, can send signals to would-be customers who hold similar commitments. While I might not question the origins of my convenient (and inexpensive) lunch, I certainly won't refuse the insight provided by this compilation into how I might better stick to my values outside the walls of my own home.