Food can often travel thousands of kilometres before finding its way to your table. Here are a few tips to reduce “food mileage”:
There are two ways:
Obviously, it’s hard to grow bananas in Rimouski or avocados in Saskatoon. Focus on fruits and vegetables that are better adapted to our climate:
Additionally, gardening is good for your physical and mental health. Three and a half hours of gardening burns 100 calories – the equivalent of two hours of jogging1.
Gardening is also good for your brain: according to scientists, mycobacterium vaccae, a nonpathogenic species of bacteria that lives naturally in soil, acts as an antidepressant. In fact, it stimulates the production of serotonin and noradrenalin in the brain, thus helping the body better manage chemical balance in the brain and combat depression2.
Obviously, gardening takes time and partially meets our needs.
Here are a few tips for buying local, ideally in bulk and without using plastic bags.
Some employers and organizations near you may also choose urban agriculture.
Take advantage of the taste of summer!
1 https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/what_are_the_physical_and_mental_benefits_of_gardening
2 https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/antidepressant-microbes-soil.htm