Why Buy Locally Grown Food?

I absolutely LOVE my local farmer's market.  We're finally getting into the part of the year in Seattle where you can get almost if not everything you need from the farmer's market.  Farmers markets are quite well supported in this area, and I know this isn't the case everywhere.  So I wanted to discuss today why I think you should consider going local and buying as much as possible from local farms before heading to the big box grocers.

• Local food tastes better. By buying local, you are receiving the freshest possible produce, picked just hours ago. Produce that travels long distances is days older. Sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality and flavor.  (This also means it doesn't last as long after you buy it.)
• Local food is more nutritious. Once harvested, produce quickly loses nutrients. Since local produce is sold right after it’s picked, it retains more nutrients.
• Local food preserves genetic diversity. Large commercial farms grow a relatively small number of hybrid fruits and vegetables because they can tolerate the rigors of harvesting, packing, shipping and storage. This leaves little genetic diversity in the food supply. Family farms, however, grow a huge number of varieties to extend their growing season. 
• Local food promotes energy conservation. The average distance our food travels is 1,500 miles, mostly by air and truck, increasing our dependence on petroleum.
• Local food uses less packaging. Buying produce from a farmers market or from a farm itself is a no-frills process that involves less packaging. 
• Local food supports local farmers. The American family farmer is a vanishing breed - fewer than 1,000,000 Americans (less than 1%) claim farming as a primary occupation. It’s no wonder: it’s hard to make a living when you get less than 10 cents of every retail food dollar. By buying locally, the middleman disappears and the farmer gets full retail price, in turn helping farmers continue to farm.
• Local food builds community. By getting to know the farmers who grow your food, you build understanding, trust and a connection to your neighbors & your environment. The weather, the seasons and the science of growing food offer great lessons in nature and agriculture. Visiting local farms with your friends and your family brings that education and appreciation to the next generation.
• Local food keeps taxes in check. For every $1 in revenue raised by residential development, governments spend $1.17 on services, which increases taxes. For every $1 in revenue raised by a farm, governments spend $0.34 cents on services. You do the math.
• Local food supports the environment & benefits wildlife. Family farmers tend to be good stewards of the land – they respect and value fertile soil and clean water. And their farms provide the fields, meadows, forests, ponds and buildings that are the habitat for many beloved and important species of wildlife. In addition, buying local also reduces the use of fossil fuels and helps to protect the environment from harmful exhaust fumes. 
• Local food is about the future. Supporting local farms today helps keep those farms in your community, ensuring that your children and grandchildren have access to nourishing, flavorful and abundant food. When you choose to buy locally, and make your choices known, you raise the consciousness of your family, friends and neighbors.      

Consider supporting your local farmers and farmers markets.  The difference in quality is unbelievable.  I can promise you won't be sorry. 

Namaste - 

Candace

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