1. Home
2. Conferences
3. 2012 Women in Agriculture Educators National Conference

Eat the Foodshed: Improving the Diet with Local Foods

Layla Wall

Summary

Layla Wall BASC Nutrition and Dietetics, University of New Mexico

There has been an increasing interest in local food systems viability in providing a sustainable method to supply agricultural products to local consumers. Local food production systems have the potential to provide healthy food to consumers while supporting agricultural jobs. Learning about local food production systems and sharing this knowledge has the potential to facilitate connections that allow for sustainable agriculture growth. This research sought to evaluate the foodshed found in New Mexico, a diverse farming region with limited resources, for the purpose of analyzing this region´s agricultural strengths, shortcomings, and potential. One purpose of this research is to gain knowledge that can be used for education of consumers and producers to maximize the use of local food systems. This research found that there were many local foods in New Mexico that could be produced and marketed as health promoting, products that stored well for improved marketing timing, and that supported local culture. One food in particular was examined, blue corn. It was found that blue corn had potential health benefits, was a culturally appropriate food, was suited to the local climate, stored well, and could demand a premium price in the market. The goal of this research is to encourage producers in all regions to seek out local foods that can afford economic, health, and environmental benefits.

Details

---