Why You Should Buy Local

Alongside the boom in organic food, you may have noticed a trend these last few years towards championing eating locally produced foods. But does the fact that your food originated within a few hours drive of your kitchen really matter? Actually, it does. Here’s why:

Local = Tastier

The fact that your food has only traveled a short distance means that it’s fresher, spends less time in transit, and is less likely to sit in storage than food brought in from farther away.

Local = Healthier

Less time in transit means fewer lost nutrients and fewer opportunities for damage and contamination.

Local = Community

Buying local food means supporting farms and businesses in your region. When you buy directly from farms, farmer’s markets, and local purveyors, more of your money goes directly into their pockets than if you were to buy their goods in a store, which is good for them and often economical for you.

Local = Sustainable

The closer you live to your food sources, the less energy is required to deliver the food to you and the less pollution is created. In addition, many small farmers don’t use the kind of harmful pesticides, antibiotics, or growth hormones that are commonly used in large industrial farms, which is healthier for the crops, animals, land, and you.

Local = The Future

Without your business, there won’t be any local farms in your community. Buying your food from local farms helps keep them in existence.

Plus: 4 Reasons to Buy Regional Organic Food

Sources: Local Harvest, Sustainable Connections, Sustainable Table

Originally Published in Reader's Digest