Interest in eating locally grown food is gaining significant momentum in North Carolina.
The 10 Percent Campaign, a Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) initiative, encourages all North Carolinians to spend 10 percent of their existing food dollars on locally grown and produced foods.
The campaign has now tracked more than $25 million in local food purchases since its launch in July 2010.
The campaign’s goal is to build a local food economy in North Carolina. North Carolinians spend about $35 billion a year on food. If each person spent 10 percent locally – roughly $1.05 per day – about $3.5 billion would be available in the local economy. Not only would it boost the local economy, it’s a benefit to your well-being.
Dietary Guidelines
WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh shared what it called the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which say:
- Choose a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and moderate in total fat.
- Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains.
- Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
- Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
Finding locally grown healthier food isn’t difficult. Several websites can direct you to an operation near you, including:
