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Local Foods Glossary
What's the difference between "organic" and "natural"? Find useful, straight-forward definitions to common words and phrases connected to eating and preparing local foods.
Definition of Agroecology
Learn what agroecology means.
Cage-Free Chicken
What is "cage-free" chicken?
Cage-Free Eggs
What are "cage free" eggs?
Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)
A system of food sales and distribution that directly connects farms and consumers.
What Is CSF (Community Supported Fishery)?
What Is a CSF? CSF stands for "community supported fishery" – find out more here.
What Is Fair Trade?
In the world of ethical consumerism, "fair trade" is a phrase often thrown about. Find out what it means here.
Farm-to-Table
Heard the phrase "farm-to-table" and want to know what it means? Find out here.
Farmers Markets
Find out what farmers markets can be and what they should be.
Farmstead Cheese
What is a farmstead cheese? Find out here.
Foodshed
A foodshed is everything between where a food is produced and where a food is consumed. Learn more about foodsheds here.
Free-Range Chicken
Wonder what "free-range" on that chicken means? Find out here.
Free-Range Eggs
Wonder what "free-range" on that egg carton or chicken means? Find out here.
What Is a Kitchen Mandoline?
What is a kitchen mandoline and how do you use it?
Locavore
Someone who eats exclusively--or at least primarily--from their foodshed.
Natural
What does it mean when a food label says "natural"?
Organic
Find out what "organic" on a food label really means.
Organic Chicken
What makes chicken organic? Find the definition of organic chicken here.
Pastured Chicken
You've heard of "pastured" chicken, but what is it?
Pastured Eggs
You've heard of "pastured" eggs, but what are they?
Pastured Pork
See a farmer at the farmers market selling pastured pork and wondered what it is? Find out here.
What Is Permaculture?
Permaculture seeks sustainability in all aspects of human life. Learn about permaculture, and particularly its relationship to local foods, here.
What Do Egg Labels Mean?
The choices in the egg aisle – organic, cage-free, free range, vegetarian fed – seem to be ever-expanding. Find out what those egg labels really mean here.
What Do Meat Labels Mean?
Grass-fed, organic, free-range - what do these terms all mean? Make sense of the meat counter with this guide to meat labels. You'll see that many of these common labels are vague or unverified. The best way to buy meat raised with specific standards is to find a producer or farm that follows the practices that are important to you.
What Is Urban Agriculture?
Urban agriculture is a growing movement of growing food – either plant or animal based – to feed and support individuals, families, and households beyond those growing it. Learn more about urban agriculture here.
What Is an Urban Farm?
You've heard the term "urban farm" but what could it possibly mean? Aren't "urban" and "farm" necessarily exclusive one to the other? Find out what an urban farm is.