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Benefits of Eating Local Foods
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Health
Ideally, we eat to nourish our bodies. However, many of the products available on supermarket shelves today contain a small percentage of wholesome food. In addition to that, much of what is available from conventional growers has traveled thousands of miles to reach you. During this time in transit, the food loses valuable nutrients and its flavor loses quality.
When you buy produce from local farmers, you have contact with the growers. You have the ability to know the entire life cycle of the food you buy, and you have the power to understand what other additives were introduced in the process. By buying food from a neighbor, you can ask questions and learn about what it is you are putting in your body; you are empowering yourself by allowing yourself access to information about the food you eat.
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Cost
Food is not cheap. However, there are often even more hidden costs behind what you buy. For instance, transportation, packaging, preparation, and unknown growing practices all require money. This means that only a percentage of the price you pay reimburses the farmer responsible for growing it.
Fortunately, none of these factors play a considerable role in the production of food that only travels to a farmer's market or local venue. Instead of paying for fuel to fill the truck that brings the lettuce to you, you can invest in a local provider who will reinvest your dollar into growing more fresh produce for you and your community.
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Sustainability
Consider a tomato that traveled from a foreign country to your dinner plate. As lackluster as it is for your tastebuds and for your body, it is even less beneficial to the environment. The pollution generated from food transport is exorbitant and diminishes air and water quality on the planet.
To read an in-depth study on the environmental impact of food transportation, click to view the results of the "Food Miles" study, conducted by Iowa State University's Leopold Center for Sustainability.
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These are just a few reasons we recommend buying produce from a local source--a farmer whose methods you support and whose product you can trust. Click here to view a list of local, fresh food providers in Meadville, PA.
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