Did you know?

La Plata County consumers spend $130 million dollars on food each year, $75 million in stores and $55 million in restaurants? (1)

• On average, only 20 cents for every dollar spent on food reaches the farmer. (2) 
• Food items travel an average of 1500 miles to get your plate. (3)
• 20 % of the world’s greenhouse gases come from the food industry.4 If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. (5)

Take the Eat Local Week Pledge

To support local food systems in La Plata County, choose which challenge is the best for you. Take the pledge below.

Die-hard Locavore
All food in all meals will be grown, raised, or produced within 200 miles of La Plata County.

Locavore Taster
All foods in one meal per day will be grown, raised, or produced within 200 miles of La Plata County.

Locavore Sampler
Four of my meals during the course of the week have ingredients grown, raised, or produced within 200 miles of La Plata County.
 

The Benefits

• Money spent on food will be kept within La Plata County, which will be reinvested into our community and economy.
• Farmers will receive the full retail value of their food, a dollar for a dollar.
• We will reduce the amount of oil needed to transport our food.
• You will feel healthier, happier, and more connected to your food!
   

Sources:

1 Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey
2 sustainabletable.com
3 Barker and Mander, 1999, Invisible Government: The WTO Global Government
4 http://www.energybulletin.net/5173.html
5 Kingslover, Barbara, Kingsolver, Camile, and Steven L. Hopp. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life Harper Perennial 2008