Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Carbon emissions are a significant problem and I'm glad that people are thinking about them more and more, but they are hardly the only cause of environmental harm. All that paragraph from ES&T addresses is the carbon footprint of certain food choices. There is so much more to consider regarding the environmental costs of agribusiness.

Eatorama, I strongly disagree with your statement about the best not ever being local. If that were true, I'd be able to get the best fruits at a grocery store in New York. This is not even close to the case as local apples and peaches from the farmer's market trounce the offerings from any grocery store.

Umm, I used quotation marks because I was quoting Richard.

I'd also point out that I find quality avocados hard to find in a lot of places. I never thought I liked avocados much until I was out in California last summer and discovered how delicious they could be. Now I am back in NYC and a bit dismayed at how poor the quality of avocados I can find is. Very bland.

There are farms in Westchester County that sell fresh turkeys so it isn't completely out of the question for a city dweller to get a hyper-local bird.

I hate to be annoying, but I hadn't watched the episode until last night so I specifically didn't read any of this post. Unfortunately, the title was a bit of a spoiler so as soon as I saw the broccolini I knew CJ was the one to get axed. Anyway, I don't really care but some people get all worked up about spoilers so you might want to be careful about those titles. Again, sorry to be difficult.

Like any other good idea, buying produce locally has its problems. For one, seasons. My local farmer's market is open less than half the year, and if that was the only place I bought produce, right now I could have lettuce, spinach, aspargus and radishes. If I want any sort of produce in December, it's going to have to travel to get here unless it's grown in a greenhouse, and I have to wonder how carbon-friendly that is.

I buy from the farmer's market from the time it opens until the day it closes, but I still buy other produce at grocery stores. I happen to like bananas and oranges and other things that don't grow in this climate. Could I live without those things? Sure. But I don't want to. Nor do I want to give up coffee, salt, pepper, most spices, or sugar, none of which are locally produced.

When it comes to "food miles," one thing that's left out of the equation is the fact that the truck that delivers the produce likely has a load of something that will go the other way. Eliminate the food being shipped one way, and there's still the freight that has to go the other way. Maybe it's food going both ways, but it's different food. It's not like we're shipping carrots back and forth across the country just for the fun of it.

Some really good points arguing both sides of this, awesome! I'll try here with my feeble addition.

A few things are overlooked by the article and comments. First off, how the hell does comparing the costs of a retail purchase at the end of the carbon footprint chain, combined with his apparent lack of shopping and culinary skills, at all compare with local producers that are buying in bulk at a wholesale rate? It doesn't. It's a ridiculous, hyperbolic comparison that is so prevalent in the media and used as a tool by bullsh*t artists that can only make their points of linear thinking by exaggerating, dividing and framing the discussion into a black or white mindf*ck. Had he left it as just a comedic intro it wouldn't be worth commenting on. But he uses it as the foundation of his comparative argument. The indication of his exaggerated title alone transmutes anything he's got to add to the discussion as highly suspect.

Again, hyperbole is used in his assessment of the quality of commercial goods being better, feeding on the ignorance of his audience because statistically very few have neither now nor have ever grown vegetables and understand the simplicity and bounty. And just as general appeal is concerned, his assessment of what is better is, like deliciousness, is obviously, highly subjective - neigh, highly trained on lifetime of commercially produced product. And he discloses no point of objective comparison to suggest otherwise.

He asks, "Are you sure you really saved money by growing your own zucchini." Absolutely. I stick a seed in the ground, water it, pull a few weeds, maybe use some home-made organic pesticide, harvest, compost remains to nourish next crop. How is that not saving money and carbon footprint? To suggest otherwise is absolutely ludicrous.

And to top it off he completely misses the point of environmental as well as community, individual, and environmental health benefits and biodiversity of producing locally - including growing your own.

This article is narrow-minded trash journalism and not worth our time. But we all fell for it.

It's a spade. Boo hoo, next.

I haven't tasted her food, but Lisa -- as a person -- is vile.

I hope wherever she's working, the health plan has a mental health benefit, and she uses it to get some much needed therapy and/or some heavy-duty drugs to mellow her out. She's intense.

As things stand now, I am definitely rooting for Stephanie! (I do like Richard, though...)

I was more disappointed than anything. Antonia has done great throughout most of the show and Lisa has been in the bottom almost every time, yet Lisa's grumpy butt is still there. I have enjoyed Antonia's spunk and how her heart was in all of her dishes.

I too noticed the comment from Lisa "your beans are burning" which was probably the editor's little way of foreshadowing what was going to happen.

Surely Lisa won't win this. I'm totally on Team Steph, just hoping that a woman will win it once. Blais is good though, guess we'll see soon!

@renzata... "throw/thrown under the bus" has been around for many many years, long before Top Chef started. They sure are killing it though.