A Handy Atlas for Eating Local Strolling of the Heifers, a Vermontbased local food advocacy group, has released its second annual Locavore Index, tracking the availability and use of locally produced foods and ranking states based on their committed support. Using recent data from multiple sources, the index incorporates farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) operations and food hubs in its per capita comparison of consumer interest in eating locally sourced foods, known as locavorism. The top five states for accessibility of local foods are Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Iowa; the bottom five are Florida, Louisiana, Arizona, Nevada and Texas.
The organization’s Executive Director, Orly Munzing, says the purpose of the
index is to encourage local food efforts by supporting farm-to-school programs,
urging hospitals and nursing homes to purchase local foods and asking supermarkets
to buy from local farms.
