Deep Pittsburgh Roots

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City of Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan

Did you know our city has a Climate Action Plan with goals centered around food & agriculture? It is the city’s goals to reduce food & agriculture emissions by 50% by 2030 by…

reduce meat consumption by 50% by 2030

increase local food production by 200% by 2030

reduce food waste by 90% by 2030

increase local composting by 200% by 2030

Be part of the solution and not the problem! Join your local community garden, shop at farmers markets, try to eat meat only a few times a week! Remember, change starts with your plate and you are the one in control! Make choices that benefit your body, the planet, and the local Pittsburgh community. Think local and eat fresh!

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Community Gardens in Pittsburgh

Grow Pittsburgh is a local nonprofit that serves to teach the people of Pittsburgh how to grow food and promote the benefits gardens bring to our neighborhoods. Getting involved in your neighborhood’s community garden can provide you with local, seasonal produce that is good for your body and the planet, while also connecting you with other people in your neighborhood that are on the same journey! Change starts with your plate and why not grow the food that goes on that plate yourself? Reconnect with where your food comes from and join your neighborhood garden today.

Check out the map to locate the closest community garden in your area. No options in your neighborhood? Check out Grow Pittsburgh for a guide to to start your own community garden!

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SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANTS 

After a long day I do not always feel like cooking and you may not either. This does not mean we have to give up our goals of eating responsibly and fresh! There are restaurants all over Pittsburgh that are good for the people, planet, the restaurant industry, and our local economy.  

The Porch at Schenly practices waste reduction, energy efficiency, water conservation, community action, responsible sourcing of food and materials, and much more! They’re located in the Oakland neighborhood at 221 Schenley Drive, check them out! With the warm weather right around the corner, their outdoor seating is the perfect setting for a casual breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Check out the Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurants for more information about sustainable restaurants in the area!

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You are what you eat, but you are what you eat eats too.

Dan Barber

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Zooey Deschanel on How Far Your Food Travels to Get to Your Plate

When you pick up a head of lettuce in the grocery store do you think about where it came from or where it has been? On average food travels around 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate and sometimes even more depending on the time of year or food you are eating! Be conscious, be responsible, and be proactive! 

Check out this video (top of post) on how far our food really has to travel to make it to your plate. Visit The Farm Project to see what more the organization is doing to help reconnect communities with where their food comes from!

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Farm to Table

Meet the chef that totally turned the restaurant industry on its head; Dan Barber has redefined what cooking consists of and how we should be nourishing our bodies. Check out his documentary in the series Chef’s Table on netflix (Season 1 Episode 1) to learn more about his journey and what farm to table cooking really looks like for the food and our bodies. 

Good meals come from good ingredients. Farm to table cooking is now a buzzword in the restaurant industry because of him, and it is better for it! Knowing where your food comes from and who grew it allows people to reconnect with how we nourish our bodies and sustain our lives. We are what we eat, but we are what we eat eats too! 

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CATTLE RANCHING IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEFORESTATION IN THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

Deforestation in these countries lead to habitat loss, carbon sink reduction, loss of indigenous lands, and loss of one of the most biodiverse lands on planet Earth.  The United States imports meats and leathers from cattle originating on Amazon ranches. Be responsible, be conscious, and be proactive...know where your meat and leather products comes from! Going meatless just one or two days a week can have an impact. Decrease demand by decreasing foreign meat supply.  

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Seasonal Cooking

Change starts with your plate! Cutting back on your meat consumption just one or two days a week can make a huge difference for the planet. Eating locally sourced, seasonal vegetables cuts back on transportation of food across the country and bases your diet in local Pittsburgh roots. 

How about trying a local squash and greens salad?

What you will need...

Peel two acorn squash, slice them in half, and deseed the squash by scooping out the center with a spoon

Thinly slice the acorn squash and toss with a drizzle of oil and dash of cracked salad and pepper

Roast the acorn squash in the oven for 20 minutes at 425 F

Toss a mixture of spinach, endive, kale, and arugula in a large bowl (feel free to add your favorite winter greens or produce to the mix!)

For the dressing: whisk together a few tablespoons each of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and local honey

Toss the greens, dressing, and acorn squash together and add a sprinkle of local goat cheese to finish and enjoy!

Here are sites that provide recipes that can help you cook with seasonal produce:

Go Dairy Free

Sustainable Table

InHabitat

Check out the seasonal calendar to see what fruits and vegetables are in season in the Pittsburgh area!

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As the weather starts to warm up in Pittsburgh this means the return of FARMERS MARKET all around the city! Remember to think local and eat fresh! Check out your neighborhood farmers market this spring, summer, and fall to support your local farmer and eat the freshest seasonal produce grown right in our Pittsburgh area! Knowing where your food comes from and who grows it allows you to connect on a deeper level with your body, food, and community. 

Click here to check out dates, times, and location of farmers markets all over the city in neighborhoods like ... Bloomfield, Beechview, Shadyside, Braddock, Market Square, East Liberty, Lawrenceville, Northside, Oakland, Mellon Square, Mt. Lebanon and many more! 

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Local Meat Suppliers in Pittsburgh

Think local and eat fresh! Trying to do better by the environment does not mean you have to cut meat out of your diet entirely! Eating sustainably sourced meat is easier than you think. It is better for your body, the planet, and it gives back to your local community. Pittsburgher Highland Farm is under 40 miles south of Pittsburgh and uses organic practices to raise their cattle in grass pastures. They value the environment, biodiversity, animal welfare, and fair and just treatment of their workers. Can’t make it to the farm? Don’t worry! They have delivery service available in the Pittsburgh area and have a warehouse in the East End!

Support your local Pittsburgh farmers and butchers! Click here for a full list of local Pittsburgh farms and butchers that provide consumers with sustainably sourced meats. Change starts with your plate!

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Raising livestock is something humans have been doing for a long time, but with population growth and an increase in meat consumption around the world, animal agriculture is having a devastating effect on the environment that makes life possible more humans. It is a leading cause of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, water use, land use, fishery depletion, deforestation, and much more. By cutting back on meat consumption and responsibly sourcing your meat you can make a major difference around the world. Remember, change starts with your plate!

Check out the documentary Cowspiracy (available on Netflix) to get educated about the problems animal agriculture causes to the world we live in.