Go green and local

Sustainability tip of the fortnight

Did you know that Northcote High School has an active student environmental group: The Green Team? They are committed to enhancing the sustainability of the Northcote High School community, and to spreading awareness of the simple actions that can help to preserve our planet. Here is the second in a series of 'sustainability tips', brought to you by the Green Team.

Shop local, eat local

Have you heard the term ‘food miles’ before? It is the total distance food has travelled to get to your plate. For fruit and veggies, this might be from the farm, to the factory, to the supermarket and then to your plate. This could be thousands of miles just for a carrot or an orange. If you look at food that has been highly processed first (lollies, cookies, frozen pastries etc.) the distances can be exorbitant. All that travel takes time and money, and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions in transit.

Luckily, around Northcote we have several excellent sources of locally made and grown food. Check out some of the below options for fresher, tastier and more environmentally friendly food:

 

CERES – Stewart St, Brunswick East (http://ceres.org.au/)

Farmers Markets - various locations including Carlton Primary School, Melbourne Uni, Fairfield Primary School, Collingwood Children’s Farm and Coburg North Primary School (see http://mfm.com.au/our-markets/find-your-local-market/ for full list)

Preston Market – Cramer St, Preston (http://www.prestonmarket.com.au/)

Victoria Market – Queen St, Melbourne (http://www.qvm.com.au/)

 

For more information on food miles generally, check out https://environmentvictoria.org.au/resource/eating-planet-environment-victoria/