Going Low Carbon - Don't Buy less - Buy Different

Over the next few weeks I want look at ways we can live differently, and make positive choices towards a low carbon lifestyle. Wherever you live in Cheshire there is bound to be a community project near you that can give advice, but here are a few things you can do as an individual. This week:
Food Shopping
I'm a working Mum and sometimes a late night trip to the supermarket is the only way to keep food on the table, mostly I prefer to make shopping a part of my routine. It might take a bit longer to wander up and down the high street, but it's far preferable to wheeling a shopping trolley round the air conditioned aisles of the supermarket, buying pre packaged food from goodness knows where.
Today I went to Frodsham, my local market town. First stop the Cheese Shop run by Gordon Meek. I tasted several different cheeses before settling on a couple of tasty goats cheeses, Cornish Yarg (a favourite of mine) and a block of Plain Old Cheddar (yes, it really is called that)! No fancy plastic packaging destined straight for the bin here, just a piece of greaseproof paper and a sticky label with the price on. Then on to Hales for fruit and veg popped into paper bags (which will go on the compost heap) and finally the butchers for a locally reared chicken and some home produced sausages (of course the carcass will be used to make stock for homemade soup before being composted)!
On Saturdays my daughter has a dance class in Hoole, so I combine the trip with a visit to the fantastic fishmongers there. Hoole is full of small independent retailers - there's usually queue at the butchers on a Saturday morning -surely an indication of the quality and high regard local people have for the produce.
I don't think this way of shopping costs me more than a trip to the supermarket, by combining car trips I reduce the number of miles I drive and I am able to take advantage of buying fresh food in season. No need to buy shrink wrapped green beans flown in from abroad, I can buy Cheshire asparagus or spinach from Staffordshire. My family eat well because I choose to buy fresh produce in season to supplement what we grow ourselves. The supermarkets might be about to entice the carbon savvy shopper over the threshold with new carbon footprint labels, but take it from me - a trip to your local high street - or farmers market can provide you with produce that has travelled less miles, has less packaging, probably a lower carbon footprint - and more of your money is likely to stay in the local economy.
If you are addicted to the convenience of the supermarket, take things slowly, try going to the local greengrocers instead of buying all your food at the supermarket, or take the family to a Farmers Market this weekend.
As the price of oil continues to rise the price of our food will inevitably go up too, the further the food has to travel, the longer it spends in storage the higher the carbon footprint becomes and the more expensive food will be. Buying fresh local produce will become a sensible choice, but one that will only be available if we support our local retailers. So, go make friends with your local butcher, baker, greengrocer or village store and make low carbon living a part of your weekly routine.