The Farmers Market Federation of NY suggests the 5 following reasons why buying local is important:
1. Locally grown foods taste better and are better for you – When produce doesn’t have to travel long distances to reach your family’s dinner table, it can be picked at the peak of ripeness. Therefore, local foods are tastier and have much higher nutrition content than those grown farther away and picked green for travel.
2. Buying local food is environmentally friendly – The average distance food travels before it reaches your dinner plate is 1500 miles. That is a pretty significant carbon footprint. Buying local food is generally less than a day’s drive from your table, often less than 100 miles. That means less carbon monoxide is released into the air as your food travels from farm to table.
3. Local foods are considered safer than foods shipped from far away – When you buy local you have the opportunity to meet the producers of your food and ask questions that will help you feel comfortable with the foods you are feeding your family.
4. Buying local supports your local economy – When you purchase food from a local farmer, $7.80 of every $10.00 you spend stays in your local economy.
5. Buying local helps to sustain family farms – When you buy direct from a local farmer, $9.00 of every $10.00 you spend supports the farm. If there were no farms all food would have to be imported. That means high prices and concerns over food safety.
During this Localvore Month visit a Farmers Market or Farm Stand near you. By doing this you will provide healthy food for your family, support your local economy and help sustain family farms and local agriculture.