Locavore-ism is a growing trend

Have you ever heard the term locavore?

It’s a slang term used to describe people who try to eat local foods.

And for various reasons, locavore-ism is becoming a growing trend.

WWAY spoke with a number of people who make an effort to try to buy foods from our state.

They said they do it for health, environmental and economic reasons.

Wilmington resident Stacy Smaltz said, “I would say that that I’m at least 30 percent locavore.”

Smaltz is not alone. According to Tidal Creek employees, they have seen an increase in the number of people looking to purchase foods from North Carolina.

One tidal creek manager, Jessica Ashcraft, said the recent food scares also contribute to the idea that local may be better.

“The current tomato, spinach and mad cow really supports eating local as far as your able to trace the source of your food,” said Ashcraft.

If just buying local food isn’t enough, you can come to some local restaurants like Savannah’s at Wrightsville Beach to order foods off their menu that are from our area.

One downside of buying locally is that it can be more expensive, depending on the product.