SanAntonioFoodShed

The word "foodshed" was first used in 1929^"to describe the flow of food from the area where it is grown into the place where it is consumed."^* Our goal is to keep the community informed about our amazing opportunities to eat locally-grown foods in the San Antonio area. In this context, "local" means within 70 miles of San Antonio, mainly because that's what it takes to include Fredericksburg, which is a major source of fruit and vegetables. Most of my veggies come from a 40-mile radius (shown on the right), with the occasional trip to Fredericksburg for peaches. It has been reported that our food typically travels about 1,300 miles before reaching our plates - with unpleasant consequences such as loss of ripeness, taste, and nutrient content of the produce; the need of diesel for transportation; the creation of monocultures out in the fields, followed by a loss of ecological diversity, the need for more pesticides and fertilizers, etc. Even if you're at a farmers market there's no guarantee that the produce was grown locally, so we strongly recommend that you ask questions. Start the conversation with the grower and find out more about the food you're eating, where and how it was grown, and when. Freshness tends to go hand in hand with other qualities.

We sincerely hope that you will join us in our endeavors to eat locally-grown foods in order to enjoy tastier, healthier meals, support the local economy, live more sustainably, and strengthen bonds with the local community in which we live. This webpage is intended to help you do just that. Our list of growers, towns, and markets is by no means complete and may never be. In fact, we hope our list will never be complete but will instead continue to grow. Please don't hesitate to send in your comments or recommendations of local growers.

^{*http://www.cias.wisc.edu/foodshed/foodshed.htm}

Food Recalls and Alerts

Foods the US imports from China

Plastics and your food

Structure of the Organic Industry

Farmer In Chief

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Food History: Timeline

Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999

Eggs from pastured hens: nutrition information

Still want to eat canned, frozen, or boxed foods? The yuck factor

List of produce ranked by pesticide load