Localvore’s Delight

Localvore (or locavore) is a relatively new term. It essentially refers to people who support local community businesses, farmers, and more. If you live in Kansas City, you’re in luck. Take a walk through downtown Kansas City near the library and you will see plenty of independently owned businesses. We’re talking restaurants, stores, and even community organizations such as Workforce Partnership. Talk about diversity!

If all the BBQ in Kansas City tasted the same, we’d be in trouble. Truth be told, I didn’t even like BBQ until I moved to Kansas City. It’s a local delicacy and the sauce out here is world class. In the meantime, you’ll find a plethora of cookbooks at your public library. Learn about the best ways to cook all sorts of food. You may even discover some of the best ingredients come from local grocery stores, butchers, and so on. Remember those cookbooks from the library? A personal favorite is the City Market on the weekends as well as the downtown farmer’s market. Whoever said fresh vegetables are a pricey luxury, doesn’t shop there. We’re talking a veritable cornucopia of veggies. Purchase in large quantities and it’s possible to save even more. You’ll look like a pro when you use a good cookbook and the taste can’t be beat. Essentially, that’s the essence of the localvore mentality. Good, healthy, and local things are worth it. You support the community and those farmers support you right back with nutritious food. Interestingly, these things also help you directly. Eat better food and chances are you may find you have more energy. You’ll get exercise walking through a farmer’s market. Hear stories from the farmer who actually grew the food. It can be a lot of fun. Don’t be afraid of the prices either. Local markets can often be good places to try a little haggling too.

With me, I have enjoyed writing this column for the last two years or so in Kansas City. Now I’m off to a new adventure in New York. I’d like to continue writing this column periodically as long as it makes Kansas City, Kansans happy and I don’t run out of steam. Next month, I will entertain you stories of driving a moving truck on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Until next time, catch me in the library.