Why Eat Local?

There are 3 main reasons that people choose to buy and eat locally grown or produced food products.

1. Local products are better for you and your family

Fresh produce loses nutrients quickly. Produce grown in your own community was probably picked within one or two days of purchase while fresh food found at supermarkets travels on average 1,300 miles from farm to table. No wonder locally grown food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped from other countries or states! Additionally, getting to know where your food comes from and how it is grown or manufactured is the best way to protect your family from potentially unsafe chemicals and other hazardous ingredients often found in mass-produced food products.

 2. Local products are better for your community

Buying local is an investment in your community. Studies show that dollars spent on local products or at independent businesses deliver a local economic impact twice to four times superior to dollars spent for national brands or at national chains. This is because locally owned businesses spend more of their revenue within their communities than large corporations, creating a "multiplier effect" and strengthening communities by offering local job opportunities.

3. Local products are better for our planet

Food transport is also a major contributor to air pollution. Much of the food purchased in your local supermarket has been transported long distances even though similar produce might be available nearby; for example, beans from Zimbabwe, strawberries from Chile and apples from as far away as New Zealand. By reducing the distance food travels, we can reduce carbon emissions and leave a smaller ecological footprint.

Whatever you reasons for choosing local foods, you can find the resources you need here at Fresh Radius.