Louisiana's legislature is considering a bill that would offer financial rewards to area restaurants that use locally grown fruits and vegetables in their menu items.

It’s great for the economy too. Local growers and businesses get eager customers, ready to snap of homegrown goodies.

And this Fourth of July, Kitchen Gardeners International, the folks who led the efforts to plant a garden on the White House lawn, encouraged governors from all 50 states to declare their food independence and eat more local food.

A spokesperson for the group said buying food grown close to home helps cut the United States’ dependence on foreign producers and growers.

Here’s an example. Most of the garlic used in the U.S. is grown in China. So buying local garlic might encourage more domestic farmers to grow it and eventually drop our dependence on Chinese garlic.

Lucky for me, I just got some organic garlic from my CSA.

And local food tastes better. One expert says most tomatoes in the United States are picked green and are not bred for flavor or nutrient quality, but rather for uniform shape and color. That’s why I grow my own giant tomatoes!

Via Eat, Drink and Be Healthy.

A locavore is someone who only eats food within a certain radius of their home, sometimes narrowed down to state or a certain number of miles.

Now, when you think local food, I doubt potato chips ring any bells, but nevertheless Frito-Lay is all set to sell their snacks as locally grown.

Frito-Lay will soon be running a series of commercials featuring farmers from five different states saying they grow potatoes that Frito-Lay turns into local chips. The farmers are from California, Texas, Florida, Maine and Michigan.

So, I guess if you live in the other 45 states it’s not so local after all. Besides, there’s more to potato chips than just potatoes. What about the salt, oil, and artificial flavorings?

Listen, I’m no cynic, but this seems like a clear cut example of greenwashing to me.

Via Red Green and Blue.