The Oxford American Dictionary has just released their 2007 Word of the Year: locavore. Yes, locavore! The New York Times reported on this today, and somewhat repeated what is excerpted below from the Oxford blog page:

. . . the popularization of a trend in using locally grown ingredients, taking advantage of seasonally available foodstuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives . . . The “locavore” movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to grow or pick their own food, arguing that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locavores also shun supermarket offerings as an environmentally friendly measure, since shipping food over long distances often requires more fuel for transportation. “Locavore” was coined two years ago by a group of four women in San Francisco who proposed that local residents should try to eat only food grown or produced within a 100-mile radius.

Great idea, though difficult to do in the middle of Manhattan. Any locavores out there?

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