When the average North American sits down to eat, World Watch Institute reports that the ingredients of the meal travel between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, as much as 25 percent farther than two decades ago. The tonnage of food shipped between countries has grown fourfold over the last four decades.

This reliance on long-distance food damages rural economies, as farmers and small food businesses become the most marginal link in the sprawling food chain. This trend also creates numerous opportunities along the way for contamination, while contributing to global warming, because of the huge quantities of fuel used for transportation. Of equal concern is the reliance on food additives and preservatives to keep the product viable for sale at local grocers.

A certain amount of food trade is necessary and beneficial. But money spent on locally produced foods offers many benefits that should not be overlooked: dollars spent stay in the immediate community longer; jobs are created bolstering the local economy, small family-farms remain viable; and local cuisines and crop varieties are sustained.

Ignatius Farm is an advocate of the 100-mile diet plan. Although not entirely feasible in maintaining a balanced diet, an innate preference by consumers for locally grown food would result in numerous benefits to our community, the local economy and the family farm.

The Ignatius Farm CSA program is an ideal source for locally grown fruits and vegetables. Crops grown on our organic farm vary from year-to-year depending on the growing climate. Typical spring vegetables include lettuce, Asian greens, radishes and garlic scapes. Mid-season produce includes summer squash, tomatoes, spinach, leeks, and melons. Late summer, CSA members enjoy a fall harvest of winter squash and root crops such as potatoes, carrots, turnip and onions. The season concludes with an abundance of various apple varieties grown in our orchard.