Eat Local! Great Resources in the Akutan area

What’s the one small change that 1) instantly improves your health 2) helps the environment 3) boosts Alaska’s economy and 4)helps you win the lottery (OK, so we made that last one up)? Buying more food from local sources!

Your average supermarket fare travels an average of 1,500 miles before it gets to you – and who wants a jet-lagged tomato? When you shop the farmstands or farmer’s market in the Akutan area, you get fresher, better-tasting and more nutritious food for you and the family.

It also saves energy by cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions from those cross-country transports; more importantly, it puts more money back into the community. Growers who supply supermarkets only get about 18 cents on the dollar, with the rest going to various middlemen. When you choose locally-grown foods, more of that money goes directly to the farmer, who then circulates it back into the area economy.

Shopping “close to home” is easier than you think. Start here to find a list of great sources of delicious, local food!