Is local the new organic? This debate has become increasingly popular since books such as Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon's The 100-mile diet and Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle have graced our bookshelves. Advocates of local eating (or localvores as they like to call themselves) insist that if your produce has had to travel 2000 to 4000 miles to get to your plate, then organic doesn't make much of a difference. This inherently makes sense to me. The fossil fuels used to transport that organic apple from California to your door does seem to negate the fact that it's been grown or raised with no or limited use of traditional pesticides, herbicides, and growth hormones. It can be said that choosing an apple grown in your local area benefits the environment more than something shipped in. Let's look at some additional benefits to eating locally:

Eating locally allows you to support your local economy including food businesses and farmers and helps create jobs.

Local food is fresher, healthier and tastier (think of freshly picked, plump, gorgeous, juicy strawberries).

Buying produce in season is healthier for you since it's fresh and tasty. It also helps you and your family stayed connected to the seasons.

Local food retains more nutrients and is allowed to ripen naturally.

Buying local supports and preserve our farmers and farmlands.

As with most things in life, there is a downside to this argument. Trying to eat primarily local food can be downright difficult, especially in the Canadian winter months when fresh produce is sparse. But winter can be a good time to incorporate organic foods into your diet, which although might come from farther away, still have certain restrictions to ensure that they are better for you and the environment than non-organic. Most supermarkets have a well-stocked organic section with a decent selection. Organic foods have come a long way. ]For example, you can now purchase organic breads, pastas, grains, cereals, baby and toddler foods, chips, crackers, dairy, meats, cheeses etc. So, whether you make the commitment to eat more local produce or to stock your pantry with organic foods, I truly believe that you are not only benefiting you and your family, you are taking a giant leap towards reducing your individual carbon footprint and ultimately helping save the environment. Here are some simple and easy tips to help you become an organic foodie or localvore:

1. Visit a farmers market. Farmers markets are popping up all over the place in our cities and towns and they are one of our best tools in the quest to eat locally. These markets are made up of small local food companies and farmers who are trying to sell their product to local consumers. The pay off is for both of us; they benefit from lower costs relating to travel and yields and we benefit from wonderfully fresh produce that has not traveled those 2000 miles!

2. Don't have a farmers market close by? Browse your supermarket or grocery store for locally grown items rather than items which have been shipped internationally. If your store isn't carrying local food, talk to the manager and ask them to start selling local.

3. Support your local food companies and restaurants. A great way to show community support is to buy from the small independent food companies since most are dedicated to buying local produce from local farmers.

4. Grow your own fruits and vegetables. The Zero-mile diet is gaining in popularity. Even those of us with a tiny green backyard space can create an herb and vegetable garden. There are plenty of books out there about small space gardening.

5. Purchase a cookbook dedicated to organic, seasonal or local recipes. Plenty of Canadian celebrity chefs and restaurateurs are getting on the local and organic bandwagon and publishing cookbooks dedicated to local cuisine. If you live on the west coast try Fresh: Seasonal Recipes by John Bishop. For a more thorough look into the Canadian farming and local produce industries try Margaret Webb's Apples to Oysters or Anita Stewarts Canada.