What does local mean to you?

I was recently on a road trip in Mozambique, and as we drove the country north we knew exactly what was in season by the food people were selling along the roadside. Cashews, oranges, corn, pineapples, cassava, bananas, and tomatoes were either laid out on the side of the road, or held up on a platter by someone standing in the road, asking us to stop and eat. The most surprising was the 40 kilometers marked by people standing in the road holding flapping bouquets of live chickens for sale.  

The most delicious was on the coast buying squid, barracuda and lobster from fisherman coming in with the days catch in their dugout canoes. Fresh caught seafood cooked over a campfire! MMMMM!

Eating our way through the country based on what was in season made the food better in so many ways. Because it was fresh, it was delicious. We understood Mozambique better by eating what locals were eating. We understood the landscape better because what was sold on the side of the road helped us to identify the fields where it was grown.  I now know what cassava looks like when it’s growing and I’ve seen local women walking to the field to harvest it with a hoe balanced gracefully on their head and a baby on their back. We felt more connected to local Mozambiquans by getting to talk with them, barter with them, and buy our food from them.  I always feel a connection with those who feed me. And we trusted what we were eating because the people selling us our meal were eating the same thing.

I experience that same sense when I buy local berries, or vegetables or meat from a farmer at the farmer’s market, or peaches from a roadside stand here in Oregon.  I feel more connected to my neighbors—those who feed me.

I think of Burgerville as the northwest version of buying local food on the highway.  As I’m driving through the northwest, I know what’s in season by the seasonal item featured on their billboard, and I feel connected to where my food comes from because they tell me about the farmer who grew the different ingredients in my meal.  Over 70% of Burgerville’s food is sourced from farmers in the region—that’s amazing.  And, while they don’t offer live flapping chickens in the drive-through, I’m glad that they do offer onion rings made with Walla Walla onions grown nearby, and the Roasted Turkey and Cherry Chutney Wrap with free range and chemical free turkey grown on a family farm committed to protecting nearby rivers and building the health of our soil for future farmers.

For one more week, through August 16^th, get our version of local roadside food by stopping by Burgerville to try their Roasted Turkey and Cherry Chutney Wrap. A portion of the proceeds from every sandwich support Oregon Environmental Council’s Healthy Food and Farms Program, and the sweet cherries, turkey and tortilla are all from the region. And, as you drive away, appreciate the fact that Burgerville cooked your turkey for you!