Why Buy Local When You've Got Monsanto?

Here's a bit of the ammunition you'll need for a lively debate with slow food organizer Diane Campion at this Sunday's panel discussion "Why Buy Local?" Campion, heirloom tomato farmer Walt Ross, and Cafe Boulud Chef Zach Bell are hosting a seminar at the Boca Raton branch of Whole Foods from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on January 11th to explore the question of whether local food tastes better, helps the environment, or is somehow ethically superior to the stuff produced by Monsanto and Perdue (they think it does and is). Unfortunately Freakonomics author Stephen J. Dubner can't be there to make hay of their propositions (see "Do We Really Need a Few Billion Locavores?") but if you'd like to show up and act as Dubner's proxy, have at it.