A locavore is a person interested in eating food that is locally produced, not moved long distances to market.
Of course, many rural Canadians grew up as locavores whether they wanted to or not. They couldn't get oranges in December even if they wanted them. Nowadays some people want to eat local foods on purpose, and here's why: Most likely your food would be not genetically modified if you were to purchase it locally.
Your food is food, not a concoction that is bred to have a long shelf life, a perfect color or survive great distances in shipping. If you are wondering whether or not your food is real, all you have to do is just ask your local farmer or fisherman, etc.
Your food will also be fresh if it is local. Or, someone could pick it a week or two early, wrap it in plastic, store it in a warehouse and put it in a truck and drive it around for 1500 miles and then give it to you, but then you might have to pay a bit extra for all the handling.
Buying locally preserves heirloom varieties and plants localized to climate and soil of the Bella Coola valley, kept alive by family secrets and skills handed down over the generations.
You may rest assured that buying local meat will not support the practice of growing animals in large feedlots and processing in distant mega slaughterhouses. You can feel comfort in the fact that your local food is likely to be safe and that you don't have to worry about large scale bacterial contamination in the packaging plant or irrigation systems.
Next time you drive past a farmer's fields in the summertime, watching the haying or gardening, think of the rugged pioneers that cleared that land, probably with animal and sheer manpower, and how quickly that field would fill with alders if not taken care of. People like open space.
If you buy local food you are supporting someone local and their family. By selling directly from the farm, farmers can cut out the middleman and make a bit more money for themselves and perhaps hold onto the family farm instead of having to sell it off.
Believe it or not, having farms is actually good for the tax base of the valley. Studies show that farms generally contribute much more in taxes than they require in services. Of course the best reason to buy local food is the beauty and the taste of food harvested at its peak of perfection.
Brought to you by your friends at Bella Coola Valley Sustainable Agricultural Society