Why Eat Local Food?
Some good reasons to eat, enjoy and support local food:
(Source: GrowingforMarket.com)
Locally grown food tastes better.
Food grown in your own community was probably picked within the past day or
two. It's crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. Several studies have shown that
the average distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles.
Local produce is better for you.
Locally grown food, purchased soon after harvest, retains its nutrients.
Local food preserves genetic diversity.
Local farms grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of
harvest, an array of eye-catching colors, and the best flavors. Many varieties
are heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation, because they taste
good. These old varieties contain genetic material from hundreds or even
thousands of years of human selection; they may someday provide the genes
needed to create varieties that will thrive in a changing climate.
Local food supports local farm families.
With fewer than 1 million Americans now claiming farming as their primary
occupation, farmers are a vanishing breed. And no wonder - commodity prices are
at historic lows, often below the cost of production. The farmer now gets less
than 10 cents of the retail food dollar. Local farmers who sell direct to
consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food -
which means farm families can afford to stay on the farm, doing the work they
love.
Local food builds community.
When you buy direct from the farmer, you are re-establishing a time-honored
connection between the eater and the grower. Knowing the farmers gives you
insight into the seasons, the weather, and the miracle of raising food.
Local food preserves open space.
As the value of direct-marketed fruits and vegetables increases, selling
farmland for development becomes less likely. When you buy locally grown food,
you are doing something proactive about preserving the agricultural landscape.
Local food supports a clean environment and benefits wildlife.
A well-managed family farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and
clean water are valued. Good stewards of the land grow cover crops to prevent
erosion and replace nutrients used by their crops.
Local food is about the future.
By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms
in your community tomorrow, and that future generations will have access to
nourishing, flavorful, and abundant food.
