Week 8 - BUYING LOCALLY

It's that time of year when farm stands and farmers' markets will be opening all around the country. What do farm stands have to do with being kind to the environment and what are the benefits of buying locally?

1. When you buy locally, you prevent food from travelling long distances, and therefore reduce the use of fuel. I've recently read, "before reaching your table, the average food item in the United States will travel 1,300 miles! In fact, only about 10% of the fossil fuel energy used in the world’s food system is used for production. The other 90% goes into packaging, transportation, and marketing of the food. All this inefficiency creates many environmental problems."


2. Buying locally, keeps money in your region's economy.
   
3. You support your local farmers and protect their livelihood from developers.
   
4. You develop a face to face relationship with your growers. Farmers are typically quite proud of their product and are dedicated to what they do. Fostering this type of relationship is helpful when you want to know more about how something is "raised", whether it's a tomato or beef. (Not every grower is going to be organic and that doesn't mean those who aren't, don't grow their products safely. Personally, I would rather buy my produce from a farming couple I have known for years, then organic produce that has travelled across country or from another country all together. Think of what can happen when produce travels 1,000+ miles - mine comes from about 10 miles away.


5. Produce grown locally is picked when ripe. This usually means it tastes better.


6. Farmers' market prices are generally lower than at grocery stores. I tend to pay less for better quality at my local market.
   
7. To find a farmers' market near you, go to www.usda.gov and search farmers markets.

Farmers' markets are not the only way you can buy locally. Here are some other ideas:

1. Find a local meat grower. I know the family that raises our beef. I know what the cattle eats, I know the family grows the food themselves, I know if they need more feed they have a relationship with another family they trust and I know they eat their own product.
   
2. Support U-picks. Each year my kids and I pick blueberries and strawberries. We eat some fresh, I'll make a few desserts, and I'll freeze the rest to make delicious smoothies or even crisps, throughout the year.
   
3. You can also support your local farms that maintain their own stores. We have several in our area. They always have some special event going on when a particular fruit or vegetable has come into season (IE. strawberry, peach or pumpkin festivals). It's a great opportunity to show your kids a working farm and how something ends up on their plates.


4. Trade with your neighbors (including food cupboards, if applicable). Maybe you have a bumper crop of something, so share!

Now a word about organic produce. I have no doubt ingesting less pesticides is better for you, but I do have concerns about whether or not I will be taken where I want to go if I jump on the organic band wagon. For example:

1. Fairness. It is very expensive to become a certified organic grower. This excludes a lot of family owned farms.


2. I have not yet heard any evidence from an unbiased party that organic produce (pesticides aside) is nutritionally better. I have repeatedly heard, nutritionally, there is no difference. I take issue with the fact every time I read something by an organic supporter, they make reference to how the "other" produce is SWIMMING in pesticides; as though non-organic growers don't care about their product or their customers; as though they are all irresponsible and use no controls. I get miffed about that - it's a scare tactic.


3. How do we truly know something is organic and how can that be managed if an organic farm is sitting in the middle of non-organic farms? If pesticides leach into the soil and groundwater, than...
   
4. Walmart purchasing a large organic grower. They're trying to corner the organic produce market edging out small business owners (again), in this case farmers.

Anyway, this summer whether you choose organic produce or non-organic produce, choose to buy it locally. Your family and the environment will be happy you did.

Oh, and don't forget to take along your reusable bags!