I started my own week-long version of the Eat Local Challenge to see if – contrary to popular belief – it could be more than just a game for privileged people with too much time on their hands, in which the “prize” is a smug sense of self-satisfaction. Yes, I arguably have too much time on my hands. In the end though, if I felt any satisfaction with myself it was because I spent less than usual on groceries and felt healthier from eating so many vegetables, which is not such a bad thing. 

While the locavore movement still may be, by-and-large, associated with “stuff white people like” in the eyes of the public, the people behind the movement – non-profit organizers, farmers and advocates – seem to focus more on how local food can help underserved communities and support the local economy. 

One of the trickier things to ‘going local’ was not finding out where to get local goods – during the summer, there is a market almost every day of the week – but simply getting there.It’s no secret that getting around New Orleans can be challenging if you don’t have a car.

All of the locavore lingo that New Orleanians have been regurgitating for the past two weeks can persist after this month’s Eat Local Challenge, with help from NOLA’s Good Eggs marketplace. The San Francisco-based company is slowly rolling out in the Crescent City, offering local vendors a new way to deal with their customers.

Whenever food at the grocery store gets marked down, it strikes me as creepy. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll buy armfuls of 2-for-1 ice cream pints. But turkey sandwiches with a crossed-out expiration date or oranges covered in fruit flies? No thank you. At the farmer’s market, however, the sale box is your friend. Go to it; be not afraid.

You may be wondering, “Are the positive effects of eating local really worth the extra effort required?” It’s a fair question and one that can be answered different ways. 

Folks from the Ninth Ward to Uptown light up when they hear Mr. Okra’s unmistakable voice coming through his truck’s speakers, and now, fans of the New Orleans fixture can have him in their pockets.

For the entire month of June, The NOLA Locavores group is running its third annual Eat Local Challenge, a 30-day call to action to New Orleanians to consume only ingredients – including oil and seasonings – that were farmed, raised or caught within 200 miles of the city. Lauren Zanolli explores the financial constraints of local eating and offers recipes for low-cost locavores. 

Bourbon Street's famous Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiris and Pizza turns its sights to 3218 Magazine Street for an entirely new venture, set to open this July.  Amici Icehouse and Coal Fired Pizza will offer a classic, casual Italian menu with the lush libations to wash it down.