b"gardening Eating locally grown foodWhen people visit their grocery store these days, a lot of them are looking for food that is locally grown. Experts say that being mindful of where your food comes from can benefit both your own health and the environment. One of those experts is Megan Carrier, a registered dietitian at Einstein Healthcare Network. She explains that locally grown means the food doesnt need a plane, a train, or a long-haul truck to get to the store. It usually is grown within about 400 miles of the store where it is sold.Ms. Carrier listed several health and Megan Carrierenvironmental benefits of locally grown food:Registered DietitianBecause it doesnt travel very far, locally grown food reduces gasoline costs and emissions. It helps keep harmful gases like carbon dioxide out of the air. These gases contribute to climate change.Fruits and vegetables grown nearby are fresher. When they have to travel from a far distance, they are picked early, before they can fully ripen. Waiting longer wouldnt be a good idea because they would be rotten by the time they reached the store. Locally grown food reduces the risk of introducing bugs DID YOUor plants that might travel with the food to an area where they dont belong. Non-native bugs and plants KNOW? can destroy crops and harm the soil.When people buy locally grown food, they are You might have heard of asupporting local farmers. In that way, they also are protecting green spaces that might otherwise be sold for vegetariansomeone who doesntnew buildings. eat meator a carnivore, someone By Healthy Comet staff who does eat meat. But did you Cole Manor Elementary Schoolknow you can choose a locavore? This is a person who eats foods grown locally whenever possible,One thing I would like tochange inmy life is how much I go to local according to Merriam-Webster.com.markets. Eating locallyis good for the environmentbecause cars, trains, and other vehicles dont have to go state to state creating more pollution. Juliana Hankerson, 4th gradeCole Manor Healthy Comet Something I've noticed about locally grown food is that they aren't shipped all the way from other countries. Something else is that locally grown food is fresher than store-bought food. I also think that it would be better to grow vegetables and fruit at your house if there isn't a locally grown food store anywhere near you. I want to change to getting fresh fruit every day for lunch. I also think that stores should get freshly picked fruit. Lastly, I think that stores should stop getting fruits and vegetables from other places in the world and theyshould buy vegetables and fruits from farms in their town.Katherine Resendiz, 4th gradePage 21 illustrations by Skyde Johnson, 5th grade, Wm Cole Manor Healthy CometRowen Healthy Roar (top of page) | Juliana Hankerson, 4th grade, Cole Manor Healthy Comet (bottom of page) S p r i n g 2 0 2 3 | H E A L T H Y N E W S W O R K S . O R G21"