1. GOING GREEN AT CHP
THE EN VI R ON MEN TA L BEN EFI TS OF LOCA L FOOD
Typically, “local food” refers to any food that is
produced nearby the consumer (Grace
Communication Foundation). Because there is
no set definition for the distance food can
travel to be considered “local,” it is up to the
consumer to determine what they consider to
be local food. For some people local can mean
anything traveling from 100 miles or less
whereas to others it can mean being produced
within their own state. No matter the definition,
Community Harvest Project should definitely
pride itself in being an organization that
provides local food to people in Worcester
County, traveling less than 100 miles to reach
consumers.
What is Local Food?
The Benefits
Recently, the local foods movement has gained popularity. This is largely due to the environmental
benefits of purchasing locally grown or raised foods. These benefits are attributed to the minimal
amount of fossil fuels necessary to transport food, producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Studies
in recent years have shown that non-local and imported food has a higher emission impact than locally
grown food. For example, a 2005 study from the National Resource Council found that nearly 250,000
tons of greenhouse gas emissions were connected to imported food products, which is equivalent to
more than 40,000 vehicles being on the road (Climate Guest Contributor). Such numbers reveal how
much of an impact food transportation can have on the environment. In the next few pages you will
WHAT’S INSIDE
Environmental Benefits 1
Donation Locations 2-3
Food from the Supermarket 4-5
Let’s Compare 6
Works Cited 7
learn about where some common fruits and vegetables come
from when purchased from a nearby supermarket and how
much of an impact this transportation has on the environment.
You will see for yourself the small impact Community Harvest
Project has on the environment being an organization that
donates all its produce locally. Although CHP’s mission is to
assist those in need, by producing local food, it is helping
protect the environment and reduce its impact on the planet.

2. Page 2 Going Green
Worcester County Food Bank Agency
Locations
Average Miles
Traveled
Average Gallons
of Gas
Metric Tons of
CO2
Athol 58.75 5.875 0.052
Auburn 18.2 1.82 0.016
Baldwinville 11.6 1.16 0.01
Barre 32.5 3.25 0.029
Blackstone 32.5 2.78 0.025
Brookfield 37.8 3.78 0.034
Charlton 23 2.3 0.02
Clinton 18.65 1.865 0.017
Douglas 23.1 2.31
Dudley 17.63333333 2.98 0.016
Fitchburg 36.38888889 3.275 0.032
Gardner 46.1 4.61 0.041
Gilbertville 37.3 3.73 0.033
Holden 16.5 1.65 0.015
Lancaster 21.93333333 2.193333333 0.019
Leicester 21.6 2.16 0.019
Leominster 28.97 2.897 0.026
Mendon 29.1 2.91 0.032
Milford 24.6 2.46 0.022
Millbury 12.9 1.29 0.011
North Brookfield 31.7 3.17 0.028
Key Program 9.5 0.95 0.008
Northborough 10.93333333 1.093333333 0.01
Oxford 25 2.5 0.022
Rutland 21.5 2.15 0.019
Shrewsbury 14.63333333 1.463333333 0.013
South Grafton 13.7 1.37 0.012
South Lancaster 19.3 1.93 0.017
Southborough 15.7 1.57 0.014
Southbridge 27.85 2.785 0.025
Spencer 29.8 2.98 0.026
Uxbridge 21.6 2.16 0.019
Fortunately, CHP’s food does not need to travel too far to reach those in need. Because of this, CHP’s
environmental impact is quite small. Check out some of the distances CHP’s food travels and how
much carbon dioxide is produced from these trips:
Key: Highest CO2 Emissions Lowest CO2 Emissions

3. Page 3Going Green
Worcester County Food Bank Agency
Locations
Average Miles
Traveled
Average Gallons
of Gas
Metric Tons of
CO2
Warren 39.9 3.99 0.035
Webster 29.1 2.91 0.026
West Boylston 20.65 1.34 0.012
West Brookfield 35.2 3.52 0.031
Westborough 13.475 1.3475 0.012
Whitinsville 17.3 1.73 0.015
Winchendon 54.3 5.43 0.048
Worcester 14.13243243 1.413243243 0.013
Community Servings Locations
Approximate
Miles Traveled
Average Gallons
of Gas
Metric Tons of
CO2
Fitchburg 92.6 9.747368421 0.087
Lowell 81.5 8.578947368 0.076
Lawrence 77.7 8.178947368 0.073
Leominster 88.5 9.315789474 0.083
Worcester 88.2 9.284210526 0.083
Lynn 58.8 6.189473684 0.055
Malden 54.2 5.705263158 0.051
Medford 53.7 5.652631579 0.05
Revere 54.4 5.726315789 0.051
Everett 53.8 5.663157895 0.05
Winthrop 53.6 5.642105263 0.05
Chelsea 52.2 5.494736842 0.049
Somerville 52.6 5.536842105 0.049
Cambridge 49.9 5.252631579 0.047
Quincy 52.2 5.494736842 0.049
Braintree 54.8 5.768421053 0.051
Randolph 55.7 5.863157895 0.052
Weymouth 58.2 6.126315789 0.054
Brockton 64.1 6.747368421 0.06

4. Page 4 Going Green
Food from the Supermarket
Apples
BeetsBeans
Blueberries
Broccoli
Corn
Apples from a nearby supermarket can come from as far
away as New Zealand! The transportation to get them
here produces about 399 metrics tons or 880,536
pounds of carbon dioxide! This amount is equivalent
to sending 143 tons of waste to a landfill annually and
burning 429,066 pounds of coal.
Want blueberries? Blueberries can travel nearly 3,000
miles all the way room California to reach a
supermarket near you. A truck traveling this distance
can produce approximately 4.7 metrics tons or
10,290 pounds of CO2. 120 tree seedlings would
need to be planted for the next 10 years to sequester
this amount of carbon.
A nearby supermarket receives
all five of these vegetables
from Maryland. This produce
travels roughly 366 miles to
reach the Worcester county
region, producing nearly 1
ton or 1,294 pounds of
CO2.
Onions
Carrots

5. Page 5Going Green
Peppers
EggplantsButternut Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Sweet potatoes have a similar journey to
their relative potato. Supermarket sweet
potatoes may come from the west, traveling
nearly 1,180 miles and emitting 2 tons or
3,845 pounds of carbon dioxide.
Roughly 1,023
miles would be
driven by the
average
passenger
vehicle to get
peppers to a
supermarket.
Supermarket
butternut squash
may come from
Mexico, traveling
3,537 miles and
producing 11,554
pounds of CO2 to
get here.
The distance traveled to get supermarket
potatoes from Colorado is equivalent to
burning 3,345 pounds of coal.
16.9 tree
seedlings would
need to be grown
for 10 years to
sequester the
carbon produced
from the travel to
our region.
This produce may
come from Ontario
and the distance to
get there is roughly
6,565 miles. A truck
traveling from here
can produce about 1
ton of CO2.
This amount is
equal to
approximately half a
ton of waste being
sent to a landfill or
25 tree seedlings
grown for 10 years
to sequester the
carbon.
Cubanelle Peppers
Want cubanelles?
Get them from
North Carolina,
where the trip
produces 1 ton
of CO2 to reach
the local area.

6. Page 6 Going Green
Fruit/Vegetable CO2 Emissions from Distribution
Location (Metric Tons)
CO2 Emissions from CHP
(Metric Tons)
Apples 399 0.087
Beets 0.587 0.087
Beans 0.587 0.087
Blueberries 4.7 0.087
Butternut Squash 0.587 0.087
Carrots 0.587 0.087
Corn 0.587 0.087
Cubanelle Peppers 0.947 0.087
Cucumbers 0.972 0.087
Eggplant 0.658 0.087
Onions 0.587 0.087
Peppers 0.43 0.087
Potatoes 3.1 0.087
Sweet Potatoes 1.7 0.087
Tomatoes 0.972 0.087
When most people enter a supermarket, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t usually about where the
food they’re buying comes from. We often forget or do not even realize that our food can come from
thousands of miles away to reach the nearest grocery store. As mentioned earlier, shipping foods from
all over the globe to our nearest supermarket requires massive amounts of fossil fuels, generating large
amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the local foods movement is growing and fortunately
because of organizations such as Community Harvest Project, people are having access to local produce
that has a tremendously smaller environmental impact due to the short distance the food has travelled.
See below the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to get some common fruits and vegetables to a nearby
supermarket compared to the about of CO2 emitted for CHP’s produce to reach its farthest destination.
Let’s Compare

7. Page 7Going Green
Works Cited
Climate Guest Contributor. "Local Versus Non-Local Food: Is The Kind of Food You Eat
More Important Than Where It Comes From?"ThinkProgress. N.p., 06 Dec. 2011.
Web.
Grace Communication Foundation. "Local & Regional Food Systems."GRACE
Communications Foundation. Grace Communication Foundation, n.d. Web.
Additional References
"Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.
Web.