Local Trend Raises Question: How Near Is 'Local'?

WASHINGTON — Growing up in Bangladesh, 8-year-old Suman Hoque and his dad would venture out around 8 o’clock each morning to the local market, loading their baskets with fresh fish, spinach, tomatoes and other groceries the family would eat later that day.

Hoque, now 32, is the owner of the trendy HoQ Restaurant in Des Moines’ East Village, where he has embraced freshness as the central ingredient at his establishment, which features a menu showcasing local products from 40 nearby farms.

The demand from restaurants such as HoQ, grocery stores, schools and everyday consumers nationwide to buy and serve locally grown and raised foods has made it “one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture,” according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Still, amid the torrid growth of the buying-local phenomenon, it has had to deal with growing pains — in many cases making it a victim of its own success. As more big chains increase the amount of nearby products they carry, some have questioned if the way a retailer defines local really means local.

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