With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’ve been counting down the minutes until we sit together—family and friends—to the amazing meal my parents and my sister will have created for us with such care. It occurred to me that many of the groceries going into this meal will have come from far-flung places on this Earth, and not from local farms and producers. I’ve lived most of my life in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, where on the first Thanksgiving that historic meal consisted of only locally grown and harvested ingredients.

Are there ways to eat greener? Yes, of course! Many people plant their own organic gardens or even raise free-range chickens for fresh eggs. You can also purchase locally-grown foodstuffs from organic farmers, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), or farmers’ markets. Making these choices reduces greenhouse gases (less transportation emissions) and promotes a healthy environment (fewer pesticides and chemicals entering our soils and water supplies).

To learn more, check out Sustainable Table (www.sustainabletable.org), which celebrates local sustainable food, educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food. You can also search for local, sustainable, and organic products, farms, and CSAs near where you live.

Let’s be grateful this Thanksgiving for fresh, local, and sustainable foods and be appreciative of those who provide them.

**Also great for learning about local foods is reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  Read it now and join us for a book discussion December 15th.**