There was a time when we knew the farmer who grew our produce, the man behind the meat counter and the milkman who would leave two bottles of fresh milk at our doorstep. It wasn’t that long ago really.

Today we know very little about the lives of the people who grow our food. We have no more connection to our food other than to eat it. That disconnect costs us dearly from quality, a good lifestyle, and an overall appreciation for the important elements that bring us good food. The result is a country with growing culinary poverty. We really need to eat like we care.

As consumers, every dollar we spend on food is a vote for the type of culinary culture we want. What do you want yours to be? A donut culture? A fat culture? I don’t think so, but why does so much of this exist?

It seems that we say we want one thing, yet we do another. My grandmother was a wise woman who said, “Don’t believe what people say, only what they do. That is where the truth is.” So if you want a world where your food is produced locally by people you know and trust, then you have to start right now. Local food doesn’t start in the summer, it starts this minute.

The Ontario Table is a local food resource book that helps you buy local food. The Ontario Pantry is a local food booklet that identifies the local foods available year round. Get them and start buying local today. Each dollar you spend on food is shaping our culinary culture. How are you spending your dollars?