Reasons to Buy Local Food

Local food tastes better and is fresher. When you purchase local produce at a farmer’s market, it has generally been picked within a day or two of your purchase. Produce you buy at supermarkets has usually been transported over long distances or stored for days or weeks, and loses its freshness in the process. The freshness of produce largely determines the way it tastes, as well as its nutritional value.

Local food is healthier. Produce with less travel time under its belt is less likely to be contaminated with harmful bacteria. Fresh produce loses nutrients quickly, so when transportation from source to consumer takes a long period of time, produce is much less nutritious. Locally-grown food retains more of its nutrients since it is purchased right after being picked.

Buying local food is good for the environment. Local farms usually grow diverse crops that are revolved frequently. This system of farming helps conserve the richness of the soil and the quality of the water in the fields, meadows, woods, and ponds that provide homes for many plants and animals. It preserves the countryside and ensures farms’ sustainability for many years. When food is produced and eaten locally, less fossil fuel is used for shipping, and less material is used in packaging.

Buying local food saves you money. Since transportation and packaging costs are less, the price of locally produced food is usually lower, saving the consumer money. In addition, local farms generally use pesticides and fertilizer in smaller quantities, reducing another added cost transferred from farmers to consumers.

Buying local food is good for the community. Buying locally gives local farm families more business. When you buy directly from farmers and cut out middlemen, this act builds community and strengthens relationships between producers and consumers. Shopping at a big supermarket chain where you have no personal interaction with growers and farmers is a much less personalized way of buying and consuming food.

Buying local food is better for the economy. Purchasing local produce puts more money into the local economy than purchasing supermarket food. Every dollar spent on local food versus supermarket food yields at least twice the amount of money going directly into the local economy. This increases job opportunities in the community and helps small businesses grow.