Buying Locally Benefits Everyone!There are so many benefits to buying locally grown food and locally made food products. There are also many ways that you can do that. We hope that this page will help you discover the reasons and the ways that you can reap the rewards of purchasing produce that was grown right in your own backyard. (Figuratively Speaking)
So just what are the benefits? 1. Better and fresher food for you and your family 2. Support farm families 3. Encourages sustainable practices in farming 4. Stronger local economy 5. Minimize transportation and environmental costs 6. Provide food to underserved communities I don't know about you, but those are fantastic reasons to start. So what are the outlets and how can you find them in your area? Lets break it down into these six groups: CSAs Local Farms Farmers Markets Stores, Co-ops & Buying Clubs Restaurants Locally Made Organic Food Products CSAs CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. This is a way for local organic farmers to sell directly to the community. Farmers sell "shares" of their future crop to local consumers. As the growing season begins, the farmer delivers boxes, baskets or bags of mixed produce to various drop-off spots to be picked up by the consumer. It's usually mixed with the best of what the growing season has to offer for that week. This continues until the end of the growing season, usually October or November. Some CSAs also offer meat, eggs and dairy products.Local Farms There are almost 2 million farms across the United States and about 80% of them are small farms with a large percentage being family owned. Many small farms are now cutting out the middleman and selling directly to the consumer. Some really popular ways of doing this are farm stands and u-picks. Want to know where you can buy locally? To find the best organic food closest to you check out Local Harvest.  |
