Since the 1970s, the increase of multi-national food companies has increased the size of not only farms but the overall food system. During this same time period, a slow and steady movement of small farms began selling a variety of products to local communities, building relationships, and changing purchasing habits. With these changes in our food systems, people’s eating habits and grocery choices have also changed. A number of terms can now be used for describing our diets today-from locavore, to a low-carbon diet, to slow food, or local.\

Whether in a grocery store, co-op, or farmers market, it can be overwhelming considering that each choice really does impact the economy, health of our family and even changes to the climate. However, it does not take much time to read the contents of a package or go to a farm’s website and make a call about their practices. We nourish ourselves through our food choices, and now more than ever it is important that our choices are conscious ones.