I'm now finishing my third week of eating local produce, and I have to admit I'm missing exotic fruits and summer veggies. After experiencing the challenges associated with switching to a (partially) local diet, I have to ask myself; if after three weeks I'm already getting tired of just eating local produce, how have so many people kept completely local? And yes, they do exist. In fact, in recent years the local food movement has gained momentum; in 2007 "locavore" was announced the word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary. Just googling "locavore blog" gave me 1 and a quarter million hits!

So how do they do it? Here are some tips I've learned from personal experience or come across in my research. If you've been inspired to buy even a few products locally, I hope this helps. And if you haven't decided to give living like a locavore a try, maybe these will convince you how easy it is to start...

1. Start small. Part of the reason I didn't switch to a completely local diet was because I wanted to be able to keep my commitment to local food; this is easier when you start by changing your buying habits for just a specific type of food. Even switching your produce completely might be too much at first. That's ok - one of the great things about local food is that small differences have huge impacts for the environment. For example, if we were to produce just 10% more food locally in the state of Iowa, it would save us 280,000 to 346,000 gallons of gas annually. Even better, it would reduce CO2 emissions by 6.7 to 7.9 million pounds a year. So try just buying even just one local product that's convenient. Supporting local farmers, even in small ways, adds up to big benefits for the environment.

2. Find a farmer's market near you. Trying to figure out where anything was grown in your typical grocery store is a nightmare. Get rid of your headache - by going to a farmer's market you are guaranteed to get groceries grown closer to where you live. My nearest farmer's market is 5 blocks away and happens twice a week, making my shopping so convenient. The stands won't have as much selection as a grocery store, but in my experience they are friendlier, more helpful, and the food is so much fresher. To find a farmer's market near you, click here - it takes literally five seconds!

3. No farmer's market? Did you know you can buy local food online? It's true! Click here and enter your zipcode. It even tells you where the farm that grows each product is located, so you know exactly how many miles it traveled. 

4. Connect to the locavore community in your area. When you go to your local farmer's market, reach out to other locavores will support you. If you're new to eating locally, it's encouraging to speak to people who are so committed and have so much helpful advice.

5. Treat yourself. Eating locally generally means a lot of home-cooking (or in my case home-mixing of salads), and this can get tiring. Find a restaurant near you that uses local ingredients. Try here or here for suggestions - some of these restaurants principally focus on organic ingredients, though, so double check that they buy local before indulging.

These resources and discoveries have helped me immensely over the past few weeks. Of course I miss certain foods. But when I buy locally, I can put a face to my food - I buy it from a person who is often involved in the growing process. My produce is fresher, there are more different varieties, and I know I am helping the environment. Hopefully these tips have shown readers that helping the environment doesn't have to be hard; buying local can be convenient, fun, and delicious!