Starting to think about going local but don’t know where to start? Start small. Just buying 10% of your food from local sources will help the local economy. As you learn more about your local food sources and experience the difference in taste that fresh food provides, you’ll happily buy as much of your food as possible from your local farmers.
There are lots of reasons why you should buy local. The best reason of all is that local food just tastes better. Bite into a sun-ripened tomato from a local farm stand vs. a mealy pasty tomato shipped in from out-of-state. Buy a fresh spring mix salad and realize that it does have flavor and crunch compared to the flavorless bags of salad with the texture of old paper.
In addition to taste, local food is better for you. Vegetables that are flown or trucked in from California, Florida or as far away as Chile and Holland lose much of their nutrients. Several studies show that the average distance that food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles. Industrial farmed fruits and vegetables are bred to be able to withstand the rigors of packing and shipping and to have a long shelf life rather than for good taste. Local produce is picked and sold within a day or two, so nutrients are still high. Farms take pride in providing variety and picking their produce at the peak of ripeness for maximum color and flavor.
The benefit of eating locally to you is high quality, delicious tasting food. But the benefits to your community are even better. Keeping farms in your community helps your local economy. By buying directly from the farmers, you are cutting out the middle man and all the money goes directly to the farmer providing them with a higher income and enabling them to stay on the farm. Keeping these farms maintains open space, provides local jobs and generates taxes.
Better for you, better for the economy and better for the environment. The choice is clear, local is the way to go.
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