For the sake of their stomachs and their farming neighbors, South Kitsap Commissioner Charlotte believes local residents should make an effort to consume locally produced foods.

Garrido, addressing the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce’s Nov. 18 luncheon meeting, spoke about her recent trip to a Slow Foods International Conference in Italy.

About 7,000 people from 142 countries around the world attended the event.

Garrido said she appreciated the degree to which Italians celebrated their foods, and she thinks that Kitsap County residents should do the same for fresh, locally grown food.

“It’s important to us economically,” she said. “It’s important to us environmentally. And it’s important to us as human beings.”

The average food on our plate travels 1,500 miles before getting there, Garrido said.

But Kitsap County residents have viable local options as well.

For example, the county has nine farmer’s markets, according to a 2007 census.

And encouraging those local growers will help our economy, Garrido said, since about 73 cents of every $1 spent in the county is spent again in the county.

And many of the local farmers grow crops all year using greenhouses.

Garrido plans to help host a local farmer’s market on Dec. 4 to highlight that point.