The Splendid Table

The Splendid Table Survey on Listener
Preferences On Food and Sustainability

On The Splendid Table we often talk about organic, locally-grown and seasonal foods as important factors in taste and environmental sustainability. Now we want to know: how far are you willing to go to eat sustainably? Do you have access to locally-produced and organic foods? These are just a few of the questions we raise in the first national survey of it's kind on food sustainability.

Completing the survey will automatically enter you to win one of 40 copies of The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution by Alice Waters. It's an indispensable resource for home cooks. Here you will find Alice's philosophy on everything from stocking your kitchen, to mastering fundamentals and preparing delicious, seasonal inspired meals all year long. Waters helps us embrace the seasons' bounty and make the best choices when selecting ingredients.

* indicates required field

First Name *

Last Name *

City

State

Postal Code *

E-mail *

Part I: The importance of sustainability in your food choices

Is sustainability a factor in your food choices?

Yes
No

1. What do you consider when you think of sustainability. Pick three.

Locally grown
Growing practices that use fewer fossil fuels
Foods not in danger of extinction
Biodiversity among seed choices
No GMO seeds (genetically modified)
Growing practices requiring less water
Growing practices that could continue indefinitely without adverse environmental effect.
Energy issues/global warming
Other

2. How important to you is buying fruits and vegetables locally and in season?

Not at all
Somewhat
Very
Extremely

3. Do you have access to food cooperatives?

Yes
No

4. Do you have access to a farmer's market?

Yes
No

5. If the answer is yes to either numbers 3 or 4, do you usually purchase your food from one or both of these rather than a super market?

Yes
No

6. Are you willing to pay more for certified organic produce, and if so, how much?

10 percent
20 percent
30 percent
As much as necessary
Will not pay more for certified organic produce

7. Do you buy locally produced meat and poultry?

Yes
No

8. Are you aware of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list?

Yes
No

9. If yes, do you make seafood choices based upon its recommendations?

Always
Often
Sometimes
Seldom

10. If you answered no to number 8, or don't follow Seafood Watch: do you make an effort to know where your seafood is sourced?

Yes
No

11. What are your most important factors in buying seafood? Check three.

Where the seafood comes from
Make selections based on whether it's wild caught
Select line caught fish
Select farmed seafood
Select organic seafood from known suppliers
Avoid fish and seafood that tends to pick up contaminants such as mercury
Viability of seafood population

12. What types of growing practices (fruits and vegetables) do you think affect food flavor? Choose the three most important factors.

Proximity to market
Ripe when picked
No preservatives
Organic
rom my yard/neighbor or acquaintance
Heirloom varieties
Not genetically modified (GMO).

Part II: Attitudes about food safety

1. How important is it to know where your food comes from?

a. Extremely
b. Very
c. Somewhat
d. Not at all

2. Should the Federal government regulate food more closely?

Yes
No

3. Do you feel safer buying from: (select one)

a. Organically grown mass-market national brands
b. Organically grown local suppliers
c. Well-known national brands
d. Organic "artisan" suppliers
e. A supermarket's own brand
f. None of the above
g. It doesn't matter

4. Are there any countries or regions whose food products you usually avoid?
If yes, select as many from this list as are applicable. If no, proceed to the next question.

a. China
b. North and South Vietnam
c. Mexico and Central America
d. South America
e. Russia
f. Africa
g. The Middle East
h. South Korea and Japan
i. Other

5. Are you concerned about how cattle and poultry are raised?
If yes, check two issues that most matter to you. If no, proceed to the next question.

a. The amount of energy it takes to raise them
b. How they are fed
c. Are they treated humanely
d. Are they slaughtered humanely
e. How far they are transported
f. The effect of overgrazing and animal waste.
g. Use of growth hormones
h. Other

6. Have you had a food-born illness in the community where you live?
If yes, how many times? If no, proceed to the next question.

a. Once or twice
b. Less then five times
c. More than five but less than ten times
d. So often I can't remember

7. How concerned are you about water contaminating your food?

a. Not at all
b. Somewhat
c. Mostly
d. Extremely

8. How concerned are you about the quantity of clean water required to grow fruits and vegetables and/or sustain animals?

a. Very
b. Mostly
c. Somewhat
d. Not really
e. I haven't thought about it.

Part III: How far are you willing to go?

1. Do you grow some of your own fruits and vegetables?
If yes, please check all that apply. If no, proceed to the next question.

a. Tomatoes
b. Lettuce and/or other greens such as spinach
c. Root vegetables such as onions, potatoes, etc.
d. Other vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or squash
d. Fruit grown on trees
e. Fruit grown on shrubs or vines
f. Herbs
g. Other

2. Do you raise your own livestock?
If yes, please check all that apply. If no, proceed to the next question.

a. Poultry for eggs
b. Poultry to eat
c. Fish
d. Pigs
e. Beef cattle
f. Bison
g. Dairy cows
h. Sheep
i. Rabbits
j. Other

3. Does your household freeze or in any way preserve produce you have grown or that is obtained locally for use in off-season?
If the answer is yes, for how long have you preserved foods? If no, proceed to the next question.

a. Most of your life
b. The last five years or more
c. The last five years or less
d. Just recently began

4. Where does your household most often shop for food?

a. National chain stores
b. National "boutique food stores" such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Trader Joes
c. Local chain stores
d. Food cooperatives
e. Farmers' markets
f. Inexpensive multipurpose chains such as Super Target, Sam's Club, Costco
g. Online order and delivery

5. Is distance a factor in where you shop?

Yes
No

6. On average how often do you make a trip to buy food?

a. Every day
b. Three times a week or more
c. Once or twice a week
d. Not even once a week
e. As seldom as possible

7. When making your food purchases, do you most often:

a. Walk
b. Take public transportation
c. Drive on your way to or from somewhere else
d. Make a special trip by family vehicle
e. Ride-share

8. Some families and/or individuals are setting parameters for the distance their food comes from, whether it's organic, sustainably grown (see criteria listed above), in season etc. Are you now, or have you ever considered setting all or some of these types of criteria for purchasing food?

Yes
No

9. If yes, are you interested in participating in a year-long study about how you make these choices and why?

Yes
No

Note: We are looking for individuals and families in all geographic regions of the U.S., who will attempt to purchase at least 80 percent of their food items locally, within a five-state region, in season and organic and sustainably grown. Our objective is to learn what it takes to live by these rules.

If you answered no to number 9, press submit at the bottom of the page.

If yes to 9, please answer the next six questions. A sustainability consultant for the Splendid Table will be contacting prospective participants in early December.

10. Do you live in:

a. The northeast
b. The southeast
c. Midwest
d. Northwest
d. Southwest
e. Southcentral

11. How many people are in your household?

a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four
e. Five or more

12. Do you have any small children in your household?

Yes
No

13. How many generations live under your roof?

a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four or more

14. Would you be willing to keep a food journal?

Yes
No

15. Would you be willing to be interviewed on the Splendid Table periodically?

Yes
No

See Official Rules for eligibility and prize information. You must be 13 or older to submit information to American Public Media. The personally identifying registration information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to contact you about this drawing, except to communicate with you about APM programs and activities if you chose "Yes" above. See Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You must be 13 or older to submit any information to American Public Media. Your submission may be edited for length, clarity, or content, and may be posted on this or other American Public Media Web sites or read on the air. Your name can be withheld by requesting so in the body of your submission. American Public Media reserves the right to reuse or republish your submission.

The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than communicating with you about American Public Media programs and activities if you chose "Yes" above. See Terms of Use and Privacy.