Sustainable Food

Want a Locavore Thanksgiving? Here's How

by Katherine Gustafson

category: Slow Food

Published November 25, 2009 @ 06:00AM PT

• 3620 Views

So you've decided you want stay as local as possible this holiday, but you're not quite sure where to get the goods. A host of online resources will tell you more than you ever wanted to know.

The Local Harvest and Sustainable Table Websites provide quality directories of farms, farmers markets, organic groceries, community gardens, co-ops and other resources in every region. And since no holiday meal is the best it can be without some quality beverages, check these site for local wineries, breweries, distilleries and apple orchards, where freshly pressed apple cider is sure to be available.

Another thing to take into consideration is the types of foods you buy. By choosing lesser-known but often more flavorful heritage species, you can help various plants and animals avoid extinction. Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste program presents a catalog of over 200 species that might not survive on this Earth if you don't buy them and eat them.

You can apply this heritage principle to your turkey as well. The majority of conventionally raised turkeys are the broad-breasted white breed, but the variety of other types of turkey are usually tastier and more interesting. Check out the the "sources of righteous foods" on the Heritage Foods USA Website to find the source for heritage birds in your neighborhood.

Interested in learning more about heritage foods? Give a listen to the Heritage Radio Network, where you can find such programming as the Heritage Farm Report or The Mr. Cutlets Show. The newly launched Edible Radio channel even has a program about heritage turkeys.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng