By Erin Frustaci

“Locavore” might be a new term to some, but not those in Fort Collins who make awareness of their food chain a priority.

High above bins full of heads of lettuce and other fresh produce, oversized pictures of everyday people with wide smiles hang on the wall at Whole Foods Market in Fort Collins. They are the faces of Colorado farmers. And while the posters may sometimes go unnoticed, they are a telling sign of a shift in thinking.

Even in mid-January signs scattered throughout the store like the one in front of some potatoes and onions read, “Be Loyal. Buy Local.” It’s no secret that the demand for organic food has prompted a desire to become a more health-conscious society, but it seems that the trend has been taken a step further.

In fact, the New Oxford American Dictionary’s 2007 Word of the Year was “locavore,” which means someone who eats locally grown food. The Word of the Year is selected each year to reflect the ethos of the year and it’s lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.

“The word ‘locavore’ shows how food-lovers can enjoy what they eat while still appreciating the impact they have on the environment,” said Ben Zimmer, editor for American dictionaries at Oxford University Press in a release. “It’s significant in that it brings together eating and ecology in a new way.”

However, many Fort Collins residents don’t need the dictionary definition to know the meaning behind the word.

Gailmarie Kimmel, director of the Local Living Economy Project, has been at the forefront of the trend of eating locally. For the last two years, she has put together a Be Local Coupon book. In 2006, she also helped create a map of how to eat local, which included contact information for local farmers, restaurants, stores and farmers markets where locally produced items can be found.

“There’s a readiness in the culture that is happening across the nation whether it’s the health care system being broken or the obesity problem, our food system is not in good shape; we are not in good shape,” Kimmel said. “People are beginning to ask questions ... There’s a deeper hunger—pun intended—for the community.”

Robert Poland, co-owner of Mouco Cheese Company, which locally produces soft-ripened cheeses made from other locally produced products, said he couldn’t help but notice a huge growth in awareness among consumers over the last year and a half.

“Consumers are realizing the best way to feed themselves and protect the planet is to buy things locally,” he said.

Poland and his wife started their business in 2001. The first place to carry their products was Beavers Market because the small store already had the mindset of wanting to look at local products. The couple wanted to do something they could be proud of and become a trend-setter instead of just another company out there. The company tries to use as much reusable material as it can, including packaging labels.

For Poland, it’s all about sleeping better at night.

He said the last year and a half has been unbelievable for his business. Without any major push in advertising or promotion, he has seen an increase in demand and in sales. Last year, Mouco Cheese Company produced 120,000 rounds of cheese and a 35 percent increase in sales from 2006. Mouco Cheese is available at Farmers’ Markets, the Food Co-op, Beavers Market, Whole Foods, Albertsons and Choice City Deli.

“Consumers come in saying they want local cheese,” Poland said.

He speculates that part of the reason Fort Collins is forward-thinking when it comes to food is because of the demographics and the brewing industry. He also said that statewide the Colorado Proud campaign that marks Colorado produced items with stickers at grocery stores has also had a big impact.

KC Terry, bulk department manager at the Food Co-op said that one of the reasons Fort Collins is as environmentally conscious as it is, might have to do with history. The city has a strong history of agriculture, which continues today.

Terry grew up in Fort Collins and has always been mindful of the environment. Through the news, he became more concerned about the environment as he got older. He saw the landscape filling up and learned of the toxins found in some foods. That’s when eating organic food made sense to him. Becoming a locavore was a natural progression from there. He realized that a lot of waste was created through the process of shipping goods across the country.

Still, being a “locavore” is quite different than, say, being a vegetarian. While it’s doable to avoid meat 100 percent of the time, it isn’t feasible to avoid imported goods completely, especially this time of year. There are many more limitations, especially availability.

Terry said that the Food Co-op tries to order as much local produce as possible, but that what they can offer varies depending on the season. Beyond that, some items just don’t grow in Colorado’s climate.

“I think it’s important to be honest with yourself,” Kimmel said. “People in Northern Colorado are not going to stop drinking coffee or eating bananas and mangos.”

Nor will they ever grow bananas, mangos or coffee beans. Kimmel said the question becomes how to make sure those items are fairly traded. Places like the Food Co-op simply can’t carry as big of a variety of products as the big chain grocery stores. They can however, work toward keeping the money in the local economy.

Another limitation for many is cost. Buying locally made products is not always the most affordable option. In many cases, it is more expensive. Locavores argue that cheap food comes at a greater cost—a cost to the environment and in some cases a cost to the farm workers.

Even if eating locally is a growing trend, it is by no means the easiest or what the majority of people do. Kimmel and Terry both hope the trend will continue to spread and more people will try to eat locally whenever possible.

“For most citizens in town, a lot might not be aware or ready to tackle the issue, but its important for our future,” Terry said.