Local food: not just for elitists anymore

"Local food" has been code for environmental elitism, but no more. This Washington Post article talks about why local food is receiving more attention for economic reasons. From the story:

Buying local food is in vogue, but for some the concept still has a whiff of elitism: Yuppies handing over $12 for a few morel mushrooms at a farmers market or lining up for $5 artisan bread. But with food and gas prices climbing, local food is turning out to be not just more healthful and flavorful. It also could be cheaper.

That's why this month nonprofit DC Central Kitchen began buying much of its produce from farmers in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The cost is 50 to 70 percent less than it would pay a national wholesaler. It also creates a new, profitable market for local farmers. "Local is the way to go," said Mike Curtin Jr., the organization's chief executive.