By: Piper Levendofsky

Fort Collins, Colo. — Within the last few decades, it has become evident that the U.S. loves its ‘stuff.” We fight people for the best deals on Black Friday, order items online that come from thousands of miles away and can never seem to get enough of them. 

This mindset of so many Americans has undoubtedly contributed to the greenhouse emissions released when this ‘stuff’ is being distributed from various continents around the world, considering 27% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, According to EPA. However, Fort Collins has made strides in the community to reduce their impact by utilizing locally made goods in their restaurants and other businesses. 

One of them is the farm-to-table concept, where an establishment’s food consists of fresh locally grown products. This idea has been taken advantage of by restaurants and nonprofits in Fort Collins to become more sustainable while also supporting the community. 

A great representation of these efforts was carried out in 2018-2019 as a “Fortified Farm Dinner”. For this event, a series of outdoor dinners were set up that consisted of local breweries, restaurants, farmers, and nonprofits to celebrate the community and bring people together. 

These dinners allowed the community to learn more about local food and how it benefits the community and the environment while also enjoying a fresh meal. Kristina Cash, the organizer of this event, notes that “we exist to expand and enhance community connections”. 

This event was wonderfully carried out and is a great example of a community celebrating their local businesses while also eliminating greenhouse gas emissions released from the transportation of non-local foods. 

Another way Fort Collins is utilizing local farmers is through nonprofits like FoCo Cafe, a volunteer-based restaurant that has a seasonal menu made from locally sourced ingredients. Seasonal foods are more sustainable because they can be grown in the same area they are eaten. 

When foods are imported from other countries that have certain foods in season, it requires much more energy to transport them to other countries that need them. Without the demand for food being imported from different countries, greenhouse gas emissions relating to food transportation are vastly reduced.

In terms of food sustainability, Fort Collins is certainly ahead of the game with their food production and distribution. Eliminating the transportation costs and emissions released from importing goods–even on a local level– can make a great impact on the environment by embracing native foods and the people who produce them.

Next time you are looking for somewhere to eat, you may consider how far it has traveled to get to your plate and explore more local options. Small changes like these add up to make big differences in the world.