Buy organic or locally produced food—look for the Alaska Grown Logo PDF Print E-mail

Background

Alaska Grown “Food is traveling farther than ever. Once upon a time people ate seasonally—artichokes in the winter, cherries in June. Now you can buy most fruits and vegetables practically year-round. The average American meal contains ingredients produced in at least five other countries. The transportation of food and agricultural products constitutes more than 20 percent of total commodity transport within the U.S. To help reduce CO2 emissions (released from trucks, airplanes, and cargo ships), it's best to buy food that's in season, organic, and grown locally.” —Vanity Fair, April 2006.

  • Organic foods use less GHG-emitting pesticides, and are generally grown in a more environmentally-friendly manner.  For more on the benefits of organic foods, visit the USDA's organic food website.  Look for the USDA Organic food label when you are at the grocery store.
  • If you must choose between organic and local foods, always choose local foods, as these have less associated emissions and support local businesses.

Carbon Savings

If we ate locally produced food only one day a week, 5000 pounds of carbon would be saved each year. (Source: stopglobalwarming.org)

Take Action Now

  • For more information on Alaska Grown produce, visit www.alaskagrown.org and www.dnr.state.ak.us/ag
  • For locations of farmer's markets all over Alaska with maps, visit here.
  • For info on grocery stores in Alaska the stock Alaska Grown produce, visit this webpage.
  • To know which vegetables and fruits are in season, refer to this chart.
  • For more about the many reasons to buy locally produced food products click here.
  • Visit the website of the Seafood Watch Program to find out if the seafood you are purchasing was harvested in a sustainable manner.
  • Try to minimize waste associated with eating by bringing your own coffee mug or water bottle to work, using your own canvas bags at the grocery store instead of their plastic bags, and buying food with minimal or recycled packaging.
  • Reduce the amount of waste headed for landfills by composting!  A guide to composting your own food waste can be found here.
  • Consider patronizing restaurants that serve locally grown produce and locally caught seafood.
  • The following Anchorage restaurants serve Alaska Grown produce: Organic Oasis, Kincaid Grill, Sacks, Orso, Humpy's, Jens', The Crow's Nest, Southside Bistro, and the Marx Brothers Café.
    • Do you know of a restaurant that serves Alaska Grown produce and is not included on this list? This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Consider growing your own vegetable garden.
 
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