| e last 10 years Americans have seen a boom in local | | | | of what their hard work has produced. And you get |
| food markets and for good reason. While Americans | | | | to see that happiness in their eyes when you |
| continue to buy more fast food, they still expect | | | | support their farm with a purchase. This opportunity |
| perfect ingredients and they are finding them. | | | | to meet the growers in person goes a long way in |
| So why are they turning to their local markets more | | | | creating a sense of community and maintaining |
| and more? In a nutshell they want fresh, healthy | | | | tradition in addition to supporting local growers |
| produce with great flavor. There are numerous other | | | | financially. |
| benefits to buying local products and it would seem | | | | BENEFITS OPEN SPACE & LOWER TAX |
| Americans are now rediscovering what their local | | | | DOLLAR SPENDING |
| growers have to offer. | | | | As we have become wrapped up in the |
| FRESHER | | | | conveniences of the corner grocer, we seem to |
| Care for fresher ingredients? Locally grown items are | | | | have forgotten how valuable our farmers are to our |
| usually harvested 1 or 2 days before hitting the | | | | local communities. If you grew up in a rural area, you |
| market making them significantly fresher then | | | | most likely remember the vast open space and |
| traditional store bought ingredients. For those folks | | | | picturesque countryside the crops created. As long as |
| lucky enough to live in rural areas, many of your local | | | | the small local farms exist this open space will not be |
| ingredients may be available to you the same day | | | | developed into commercial property. Why is this |
| they are harvested. Produce flown in from other | | | | important? Aside from maintaining the beautiful |
| parts of the country or world is considerably older | | | | landscape, it is also most cost effective for the |
| given that on average they travel 1,500 miles to get | | | | region, supports a cleaner environment and affords |
| to your dinner table. These products may be | | | | wildlife a greatly desirable sanctuary. |
| harvested before they are ripe because of the delay | | | | On average almost four times as much tax revenue |
| in getting the product to market. Given that produce | | | | is spent on services for a residential area then is |
| loses nutrients quickly, a recently harvested crop is | | | | spent on services for farms, forest or open space. |
| preferred for its ripeness alone. | | | | For instance for every $1 collected in taxes from a |
| SAFER | | | | residential area, almost $1.20 is spent on services to |
| Local food is often safer, too. Even when it’s | | | | support that area. Conversely, only $.34 is spent to |
| not organically grown, small farms tend to be less | | | | support rural area for each dollar collected. Because |
| aggressive than large factory farms about using | | | | farms contribute more taxes then they require in |
| chemicals. While biotechnology companies have long | | | | services, local farmers make for a surplus in tax |
| been experimenting with genetically altered produce, | | | | revenue. In addition to the lower cost needed to |
| small local farmers do not have access to these | | | | support rural areas, they also help to clean 12-14% of |
| seeds and most would not use them even if they did | | | | the carbon emitted by vehicles and industry. |
| have access to these seeds. For those consumers | | | | By continuing to support local growers today, you |
| opposed to using genetically altered produce, locally | | | | are ensuring that they will be around tomorrow. In |
| grown produce will offer the best product. | | | | fact more and more non-chain grocers are carrying |
| BUILDS COMMUNITY | | | | locally grown products. They must, it’s what |
| When you go to a local market you get a chance to | | | | consumers are demanding. |
| see the grower and talk to them eye-to-eye. You | | | | Try buying local flavors. You have nothing to lose and |
| get to see their reaction when you ask them if the | | | | so much to gain. |
| use chemicals. You get to see how proud they are | | | | |