Why Buy Local When You've Got Monsanto?

Here's a bit of the ammunition you'll need for a lively debate with slow food organizer Diane Campion at this Sunday's panel discussion "Why Buy Local?" Campion, heirloom tomato farmer Walt Ross, Nancy Roe of Green Cay Farms (pictured left), nutritionist Larisa Alonso, and Cafe Boulud Chef Zach Bell are...

By Gail Shepherd

January 5, 2009

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Here's a bit of the ammunition you'll need for a lively debate with slow food organizer Diane Campion at this Sunday's panel discussion "Why Buy Local?" Campion, heirloom tomato farmer Walt Ross, Nancy Roe of Green Cay Farms (pictured left), nutritionist Larisa Alonso, and Cafe Boulud Chef Zach Bell are hosting a seminar at the Boca Raton branch of Whole Foods from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on January 11th to explore the question of whether local food tastes better, helps the environment, or is somehow ethically superior to the stuff produced by Monsanto and Perdue (they think it does and is). Unfortunately Freakonomics author Stephen J. Dubner can't be there to make hay of their propositions (see "Do We Really Need a Few Billion Locavores?") but if you'd like to show up and act as Dubner's proxy, have at it.

I actually think you could thoroughly dismantle the anti-locavore argument, which has been loud and long of late, even with your mouth stuffed full of heirloom cherry tomatoes and Loxahatchee goat cheese. I plan to show up as a vocal audience participant to help do just that this Sunday. Hope to see you there.

-- Gail Shepherd

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