1. Locally grown food
tastes better.
Food grown in your own community was probably picked within the past
day or two. It's crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. Produce flown or
trucked in from California, Florida, Chile or Holland is, quite
understandably, much older. Several studies have shown that the average
distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles. In a week-long
(or more) delay from harvest to dinner table, sugars turn to starches,
plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality.
2. Local produce is better for
you.
A recent study showed that fresh produce loses nutrients quickly.
Food that is frozen or canned soon after harvest is actually more
nutritious than some "fresh" produce that has been on the truck or
supermarket shelf for a week. Locally grown food, purchased soon after
harvest, retains its nutrients.
3. 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.
Although biotechnology companies have been trying to commercialize genetically modified fruits and vegetables, they are currently licensing them only to large factory-style farms. Local farmers don't have access to genetically modified seed, and most of them wouldn't use it even if they could. A June 2001 survey by ABC News showed that 93% of Americans want labels on genetically modified food - most so that they can avoid it. If you are opposed to eating bioengineered food, you can rest assured that locally grown produce was bred as nature intended.
5. Local food supports local farm families.
With fewer than 1 million Americans now claiming farming as
their primary occupation, farmers are a vanishing breed. And no wonder -
commodity prices are at historic lows, often below the cost of
production. The farmer now gets less than 10 cents of the retail food
dollar. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman
and get full retail price for their food - which means farm families
can afford to stay on the farm, doing the work they love.
6. Local food builds community.
When you buy direct from the farmer, you are re-establishing a
time-honored connection between the eater and the grower. Knowing the
farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the weather, and the miracle
of raising food. In many cases, it gives you access to a farm where
your children and grandchildren can go to learn about nature and
agriculture. Relationships built on understanding and trust can thrive.
7. Local food preserves open
space.
As the value of direct-marketed fruits and vegetables
increases, selling farmland for development becomes less likely. You
have probably enjoyed driving out into the country and appreciated the
lush fields of crops, the meadows full of wildflowers, the picturesque
red barns. That landscape will survive only as long as farms are
financially viable. When you buy locally grown food, you are doing
something proactive about preserving the agricultural landscape.
8. Local food keeps your taxes
in check.
Farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services,
whereas suburban development costs more than it generates in taxes,
according to several studies. On average, for every $1 in revenue raised
by residential development, governments must spend $1.17 on services,
thus requiring higher taxes of all taxpayers. For each dollar of revenue
raised by farm, forest, or open space, governments spend 34 cents on
services.
9. Local food supports a clean
environment and benefits wildlife.
A well-managed family farm is a place where the resources of
fertile soil and clean water are valued. Good stewards of the land grow
cover crops to prevent erosion and replace nutrients used by their
crops. Cover crops also capture carbon emissions and help combat global
warming. According to some estimates, farmers who practice conservation
tillage could sequester 12-14% of the carbon emitted by vehicles and
industry. In addition, the habitat of a farm - the patchwork of fields,
meadows, woods, ponds and buildings - is the perfect environment for
many beloved species of wildlife, including bluebirds, killdeer, herons,
bats, and rabbits.
10. Local food is about the
future.
By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that
there will be farms in your community tomorrow, and that future
generations will have access to nourishing, flavorful, and abundant
food.
