I can't upvote Mr. Ptacek enough here. I am a member of a meat CSA that's local because I can go to the farm and see how the animals are raised. I buy veggies from the market here in Chicago because I can go to the farms and see how they're growing the produce. While lowering the energy factor is a bonus, it certainly isn't the reason I eat mostly local food. I eat local because I want to know how animals are treated, ensure that animals aren't bloated with corn feed, and to ensure that I'm not eating chemically (ammonia) laced meat.
It's also important to put money back into your local community. If I spend $50 at a chain grocery store, very, very little of that is going into the local economy. If I spend $50 on meat from a local farm, all $50 is going to the local economy.
It looks very impressive but I haven't started cooking with it yet; I will report on it shortly. Erin and I are planning on cooking through Ruhlman's _Charcuterie_ and reporting the results.
I can't recommend Slagel Family Farms highly enough; they were just awesome to deal with.
It's also important to put money back into your local community. If I spend $50 at a chain grocery store, very, very little of that is going into the local economy. If I spend $50 on meat from a local farm, all $50 is going to the local economy.
PS How's the 1/2 pig?