Jan
27
2012
USDA official makes case for local produce at UF
USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan discusses the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative at the Straughn Extension Professional Development Center on the University of Florida campus on Jan. 26. (UF/IFAS Photo by Dawn McKinstry) Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture isn’t quite sure what the term “local food” means. “Local” has been described as everything from a 400-mile radius to within county limits. It has even been described as a “four-hour leisurely drive” to USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, who spoke Thursday night at the University of Florida. However, the lack of a concrete definition doesn’t bother Merrigan,