With the cold Minnesota winter coming to a close, many local options are springing up around the Twin Cities, opening up new possibilities for the locavore movement.

In recent years, a movement has swept the nation – the movement of the locavore. A locavore can be roughly defined as an individual who strives to eat food sourced from a certain radius. To many locavores, the emphasis is less on the specific food miles than it is on the connection one makes with local farmers and food.

“A locavore is somebody who deliberately tries to eat local food and support local farmers. They also avoid conventional or lazy methods of getting food,” said Anna Sundberg, OHS senior. There is a definite conscious method made by a locavore, usually brought on by a passion or firm belief. “These people are eating local for a reason; maybe for animal rights, maybe because of the environment,” said Sundberg.

“There are a couple of reasons as to why I think someone would want to eat locally. The first being if you have a major health problem, you may turn to eating healthier in order to help your body heal. The second is you could have a fear of getting sick from eating McDonalds or ingesting too many GMOs (genetically modified organism). The last reason is you could become disgusted by how industrial our food is,” said OHS world history and debate teacher Michelle Neal.

The benefits that can come from eating locally are highly debated, many argue that the benefits are nearly non-existent. Many locavores, however, will argue that the changes you make to your diet can reshape your body and attitude. Buying local honey is one example of how local food can truly improve one’s life. Local honey contains trace amounts of pollen, and since it is being purchased locally, it is highly likely that it will lessen effects of allergies or local viruses.

“When I shop, I’ll buy something local over something from far away if there is that option. I will especially buy local honey,” said English teacher Jessica Frie. Frie devotes a segment of her AP Language and Composition class to teaching students about the reality of conventional food and the locavore movement.

“I wouldn’t say that my opinions have changed, but I have learned a great deal more about food and how it is prepared,” said junior Samantha Hartman about being exposed to these issues in the AP Language class.

Living in the Orono district, there are a variety of options for finding local and organic food. Harvest Moon, Whole Foods and Lakewinds are all within 15 minutes from the high school.

David Giedd, Harvest Moon’s General Manager believes “a lot of communities who don’t have access to local or organic food suffer from it. It’s also a great way to support the local economy.”

Another way for consumers to find local food is to attend farmers’ markets or stop by the un-quantifiable fruit and vegetable stands that appear in late June. “I am part of a CSA (community supported agriculture) – basically I get a box of in season vegetables and fruits each week in the summer from a local farmer. He also adds in some recipe ideas for the vegetables he provides,” said Neal.

Also, iPhone and Android phone users can check out the the app, Locavore, which will use GPS location services to find nearby local markets, farmers markets, and restaurants that feature local food. If you don’t have a smartphone, check out http://www.getlocavore.com/widget the website that simulates the app.

Talia Zadeh is Editor in Chief for The Spartan Speaks.