12 Reasons to Buy Local

1. Freshness

Locally-grown organic fruits and vegetables are usually harvested within 24 hours of being purchased by the consumer. Produce from California can’t be that fresh.

2. Taste

Produce picked and eaten at the height of freshness tastes better.

3. Nutrition

Nutritional value declines, often dramatically, as time passes after harvest. Because locally-grown produce is freshest, it is more nutritionally complete.

4. Purity

Eighty per cent of American adults say they are concerned about the safety of the food they eat. They worry about residues of pesticides and fungicides. These materials are not permitted in an organic production system either before or after harvest.

5. Regional Economic Health

Buying locally-grown food keeps money within the community. This contributes to the health of all sectors of the local economy, increasing the local quality of life.

6. Variety

Organic farmers selling locally are not limited to the few varieties that are bred for long-distance shipping, high yields, and shelf life. Often they raise and sell wonderful unusual varieties you will never find on supermarket shelves.

7. Soil Stewardship

Soil health is essential for the survival of our species. Conventional farming practices are rapidly depleting topsoil fertility. Creating and sustaining soil fertility is the major objective for organic growers.

8. Energy Conservation

Buying locally-grown organic foods decreases dependence on petroleum, a non-renewable energy source. One-fifth of all petroleum now used in the United States is used in agriculture. Organic production systems do not rely upon the input of petroleum-derived fertilisers and pesticides and thus save energy at the farm. Buying from local producers conserves additional energy at the distribution level.

9. Environmental Protection

Soil erosion; pesticide contamination of soil, air, and water; nitrate loading of waterways and wells; and elimination of planetary biodiversity are some of the problems associated with today’s predominate farming methods. Organic growers use practices that protect soil, air, and water resources; and that promote biodiversity.

10. Cost

Conventional food processes don’t reflect the hidden costs of the environmental,  health and social consequences of predominant production practices — of, for instance, correcting a water supply polluted by agricultural runoff, or obtaining medical treatment for pesticide-induced illness suffered by farmers or consumers. When these and other hidden costs are taken into account, as they should be, locally-grown organic foods are seen clearly for the value they are, even if they cost a few pennies more.

11. A Step Towards Regional Food Self-Reliance

Dependency on faraway food sources leaves a region vulnerable to supply disruptions, and removes any real accountability of producer to consumer. It also tends to promote larger, less diversified farms that hurt both the environment and local economies/communities. Regional food production systems, on the other hand, keep the food supply in the hands of many, providing interesting job and self-employment opportunities, and enabling people to influence how their food is grown.

12. Passing on the Stewardship Ethic

When you buy locally-produced organic food you cannot help but raise the consciousness of your friends and family about how food buying decisions can make a difference in your life and the life of your community; and about how this basic act is connected to planetary issues.

With thanks to the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association.

Published in Kindred issue 20, December 06