THANKSGIVING: Support farmers by buying local
CARRIE SIKORSKI; Tacoma
“Eat Local for Thanksgiving” week has officially begun, as proclaimed by the Pierce County executive and County Council on Tuesday to recognize the regionwide, buy-local campaign sponsored by Puget Sound Fresh.
If Pierce County residents make at least one Thanksgiving dish from locally grown items, the release of nearly 200 tons of greenhouse gas emissions can be avoided, according to calculations developed at the University of Washington. We can all support the local economy, save farmland and improve the environment by taking two simple steps:
• Pledge to add a locally grown item to your Thanksgiving menu by going to
www.PierceCountyWa.org/EatLocal.
• Follow through on your pledge. Shop a farmers market or farm store, and look for the “Grown in Washington” sticker in grocery stores.
Small choices make a big difference. When you sit down to eat, remember to give thanks, not only for your food, but also for the farmers who grow it. (Sikorski is the Pierce County “Farmbudsman.”)
