There has been a significant marketing push in many communities across the country, recommending that consumers purchase produce from nearby farms. It makes sense and it is likely to continue. There are numerous reasons why, and I will lay them out for you. However, there are a few things to be careful of. Just because a farm is around the corner doesn't mean it's your best option.
There are a lot of positives to assess when considering purchasing local produce. Freshness and nutrition are usually higher from local products because of less travel time and the typical drop off in nutritional value as produce ages, which can happen rather quickly. Most people don't realize that when comparing produce coming from long distances to frozen or canned produce, the latter is often more nutritious because it was preserved close to harvest while the former is possibly a week or two old.
Furthermore, your purchases benefit your community. The more you and your neighbors spend on local businesses, the more vibrant your community will be. Income levels will be higher, meaning more available dollars to spend and invest, as well as more tax dollars to spend on local public needs. What's more, purchasing local produce lessens the impact on the environment, due to lower transportation costs, which can also mean lower prices for the consumer.
Although it is no guarantee, an often less-considered positive of eating local foods is the potential to help reduce the burdens during natural disasters and other emergencies. Long-distance foods and other goods can face disruptions for so many reasons during transportation. Local foods are closer and can get to your local grocery store quicker than those traveling across the country or internationally. Significant hurricanes and other storms routinely disrupt supply chains for food and fuel. Local foods are worth considering to help reduce the impact from such disasters.
There are two important caveats to be aware of. The aforementioned benefits assume the local farms do not use genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which are basically seeds whose genes have been altered to add desired traits like drought resistance or insect repellant or to minimize the effects of negative traits. GMOs have never proven to be safe while the list of harms and risk factors seem to grow daily.
The second area to be careful of is pesticide usage. Buying local does little for you if the food you are buying was doused in cancer-causing chemicals. I highly recommend purchasing only from organic farms. They don't necessarily have to be USDA certified, but it helps, particularly if you don't have a relationship and established trust with the farm.
My hope is that you will consider making local producers a key part of your weekly purchases. As long as you avoid pesticides and GMOs, you should be in good hands. If you don't, you are risking your health.
There are a lot of positives to assess when considering purchasing local produce. Freshness and nutrition are usually higher from local products because of less travel time and the typical drop off in nutritional value as produce ages, which can happen rather quickly. Most people don't realize that when comparing produce coming from long distances to frozen or canned produce, the latter is often more nutritious because it was preserved close to harvest while the former is possibly a week or two old.
Furthermore, your purchases benefit your community. The more you and your neighbors spend on local businesses, the more vibrant your community will be. Income levels will be higher, meaning more available dollars to spend and invest, as well as more tax dollars to spend on local public needs. What's more, purchasing local produce lessens the impact on the environment, due to lower transportation costs, which can also mean lower prices for the consumer.
Although it is no guarantee, an often less-considered positive of eating local foods is the potential to help reduce the burdens during natural disasters and other emergencies. Long-distance foods and other goods can face disruptions for so many reasons during transportation. Local foods are closer and can get to your local grocery store quicker than those traveling across the country or internationally. Significant hurricanes and other storms routinely disrupt supply chains for food and fuel. Local foods are worth considering to help reduce the impact from such disasters.
There are two important caveats to be aware of. The aforementioned benefits assume the local farms do not use genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), which are basically seeds whose genes have been altered to add desired traits like drought resistance or insect repellant or to minimize the effects of negative traits. GMOs have never proven to be safe while the list of harms and risk factors seem to grow daily.
The second area to be careful of is pesticide usage. Buying local does little for you if the food you are buying was doused in cancer-causing chemicals. I highly recommend purchasing only from organic farms. They don't necessarily have to be USDA certified, but it helps, particularly if you don't have a relationship and established trust with the farm.
My hope is that you will consider making local producers a key part of your weekly purchases. As long as you avoid pesticides and GMOs, you should be in good hands. If you don't, you are risking your health.
About the Author:
Please see my website for more information dangers of food additives and preservatives or my blog at Natural claim on food label
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