Join the "Local Family"

The ground rules for eating local don't have to be strict, says Local Beet editor and publisher Rob Gardner, but you've gotta start somewhere.

Gardner authored an April 3 post lauding the Oak Park Farmers Market and its inspiring bounty of locally grown produce supplied by friendly Midwestern farmers.

But it's easy to eat local in the summertime. The challenge is thinking year-round. To that end, he's pledging to offer tips and advice on the site so you can join the "local family."

"You need to start," he writes. "You do not need to finish once you start, but you need to start and you need to think past the start. Think about eating local food this week. Next week. Think about eating local food when the farmer’s markets are complete, and think about eating local food when there are not many farmer’s markets. I’m telling you to start now."

Here's a link to the rest of Gardner's "Local Family" columns, which contains a treasure trove of tips, gripes and advice for committing to eating locally.