Given the massive growth and development of many communities, the last few decades have seen a decline in the local farmer. That trend appears to be reversing. Perhaps you've seen an increase in advertisements in your newspaper or in the produce aisle highlighting local farming. There are a lot of reasons why purchasing locally-grown produce is a good idea, but there are a few caveats as well. I hope to help you navigate this growing trend.
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.
Eating local produce, particularly if your community as a whole is focused on it, can help out greatly in emergencies. When disaster strikes, as it did with Hurricane Sandy in 2012, there can be significant issues in the supply chain. Many grocery aisles in the Northeast were bare with new deliveries days from arriving. This happened with gasoline as well. Although it is not a guarantee at all, eating local produce could help in times of need. To me, this is a bonus to all of the other positive benefits I already mentioned.
That being said, it is important to consider a few other issues. First, all of the positives I already mentioned will be negated if the farms use GMO seeds, which are genetically altered to increase crop yields by adding chemicals or spliced traits from animals or other plants. GMOs are often called Frankencrops. I have never seen a peer-reviewed study supporting the use of GMOs yet the argument against their use is significant and growing.
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.
The benefits of buying local produce are significant if you avoid the dangers of genetically-modified seeds and cancer-causing chemicals. These dangers are too great to consider local products. It would be better to buy organic or non-GMO produce from greater distances.
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.
Eating local produce, particularly if your community as a whole is focused on it, can help out greatly in emergencies. When disaster strikes, as it did with Hurricane Sandy in 2012, there can be significant issues in the supply chain. Many grocery aisles in the Northeast were bare with new deliveries days from arriving. This happened with gasoline as well. Although it is not a guarantee at all, eating local produce could help in times of need. To me, this is a bonus to all of the other positive benefits I already mentioned.
That being said, it is important to consider a few other issues. First, all of the positives I already mentioned will be negated if the farms use GMO seeds, which are genetically altered to increase crop yields by adding chemicals or spliced traits from animals or other plants. GMOs are often called Frankencrops. I have never seen a peer-reviewed study supporting the use of GMOs yet the argument against their use is significant and growing.
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.
The benefits of buying local produce are significant if you avoid the dangers of genetically-modified seeds and cancer-causing chemicals. These dangers are too great to consider local products. It would be better to buy organic or non-GMO produce from greater distances.
About the Author:
Please see my website for more information dangers of food additives and preservatives or my blog at FDA food label guidelines
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