10 Reasons To Buy Local Foods

1. Local food is yummier. In a weekl ong delay from harvest to dinner plate, sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality
2. Local foods are more nutrient dense. Produce loses nutrients with time. So the less time from farm to table the better it is for you.
3. Local foods are good for the planet. When farmers get paid for their produce in the local markets, they are less likely to sell their farmland for development
4. Local food is GMO free. Right now GMO sees are only being licensed to large factory-style farms.
5. Local foods strengthen communities. Getting to know your local farmers brings a small-town comfortably to any city.
6. Local foods support local families. Why not buy produce that can put money directly in your local farmers’ pockets instead of corporations?
7. 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, a forest or open space, governments spend $0.34 cents on services.
8. Local food promotes energy conservation. The average distance our food travels is 1500 miles, mostly by air and truck, increasing our dependence on petroleum. By buying locally, you conserve the energy that’s used for transport.
9. Local food preserves genetic diversity. “In the modern industrial agricultural system, varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen simultaneously and withstand harvesting equipment; for a tough skin that can survive packing and shipping; and for an ability to have a long shelf life in the store. Only a handful of hybrid varieties of each fruit and vegetable meet those rigorous demands, so there is little genetic diversity in the plants grown. Local farms, in contrast, 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 preserves genetic diversity.”- ENN.com
10. Local Food provides certainty for the future. Local farms are in danger of disappearing altogether. Supporting them now ensures they can continue for future generations.