My first awareness about the importance of buying locally came through a guest speaker at the New England Culinary Institute. Our public relations person came to tell me that Michael Abelman, an organic vegetable and fruit farmer from California, was coming to school to promote his new book "From the Good Earth" and to speak to the student body about farming practices around the world. She also said "Jamie, this guy is going to change your life!". Well, I thought she was exaggerating just a bit, and being the ultimate skeptic, simply humored her.

At the time I had just taken on the job of "Director of Purchasing " for N.E.C.I. at the Inn at Essex, and was responsible for a huge budget for food dollars and keeping that cost in line. When Michael Abelman finished his talk, we had a question and answer period, and I (the ultimate skeptic) challenged him on his vigilante message to buy locally and in-season, as I could not seem to be able to justify spending more money on local and organically grown produce. He came back with a commitment to his ideals on each point, and repeated time after time that the cost of buying locally and seasonally will not be in dollars spent, but in the ultimate health of our planet and our people. His mission and message were inspiring, to say the least.

Since that presentation, I have been a "changed woman"! I am constantly seeking venues to be able to pass the message about the importance of buying locally, and have found an audience within the student body at the Culinary Institute. My commitment and involvement in the Vermont Fresh Network has also brought forward not only my own personal desire to improve the local buying ethic, but New England Culinary Institute's as well. We have made great strides towards this goal on all our campuses, and not one student has graduated from our program without hearing about these issues. The choices made by them will help to bring our "sustainability" back in balance, one chef at a time.

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