Recent consumer product recalls and scares on items ranging from hamburger to lettuce to children's toys have consumers throughout the U.S. asking questions about where and how consumer goods are produced. Asking these questions about the food we eat can sometimes require a lesson in world geography.

Read the product labels on food items in your freezer and your kitchen cupboard, and like me you may find apple juice from China, frozen shrimp from Malaysia, and hot dogs for Canada. Hot dogs from Canada? Hot dogs? Is there any other food item which is more American than hot dogs? Now thanks to NAFTA, America imports hot dogs from Canada. If there is any justice in the world of processed meats, we can only hope that U.S. meat packing plants are exporting Canadian bacon to our neighbors up north.

Many of the food items we consume in the U.S. could be eligible for frequent flier miles. The average food item in the U.S. travels more than 1,500 miles to get from where it is produced to your dinner plate. Racking up these miles adds cost to these food items, reduces the quality and nutritional content of some items, and utilizes a tremendous amount of fossil fuel, thus increasing the size of the carbon footprint of our food production and distribution system.

So what can consumers do? Carroll County farmers are suggesting that consumers by local. The free Buy Fresh, Buy Local, Buy Carroll! guide available at the OSU Extension office lists local area farmers who will sell you everything from beef to beets and potatoes to pumpkins.

Consumers can also turn to the Carroll County Farmers Market for high-quality, locally produced food items and plants. The weekly market will be taking place at the Dollar General Market parking lot, Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. - 12 noon, May 1 - November 20, and Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., July 20 - September 28. The market features only items produced by families in Carroll and surrounding counties.

A trip to the Carrollton Farmers Market will give you a lesson in Carroll County geography. At the market you may find honey from Minerva, beef roasts from Loudon Township, jams, jellies, and salsa from Rose Township, plants and shrubs from near Kilgore, pork chops from Canyon Road, and home-baked breads and pies from somewhere between Watheys and Specht! There is nothing from China, Malaysia, or even Canada at the farmers market.

When you purchase food products directly from farmers you will be supporting the Carroll County economy, as farm families who sell their products directly to consumers keep on an average more than 90 cents of every dollar which the consumers spends on food. Farmers who sell their products in traditional commodity markets receive just 10 cents of every dollar which the consumer spends on food.

So when you choose to purchase locally produced food products from farm families in Carroll and surrounding counties, you and your family will receive fresher, more nutritious foods; you'll help area farmers thrive; and you'll be helping the environment by reducing the number of food miles.

By: Mike Hogan, OSU Extension Educator