Discover why it’s important to buy local food, the health benefits of eating locally grown produce, and why choosing local food benefits the environment. For a directory, visit this online directory of food co-ops. In support of our educational mission, we sometimes share resources offered by trusted partners. The local food co-op in your area may not be listed. When local farmers are well compensated for their products, they are less likely to sell their land to developers. Health and sustainability are two excellent reasons to eat more local food. While it’s hard to know exactly how many CSAs there are, the USDA’s last official estimate was that there were 12,549 farms participating in the program in the United States alone. By entering your information here, you are agreeing to receive messages from Food Revolution Network. Local foods tend to create a greater variety of foods. Members receive a weekly or biweekly share of the farm’s harvest. More and more people want to know where their food comes from and the farming practices of the farmers that grow and produce it. Besides, it’s often safer to eat local food when you travel. Community members, in turn, agree to support the farm through financial contributions, which are typically paid up-front. And you can ask which foods are local. Local food is now a mainstream trend, with more and more people seeking out fresh, local options for produce and other foods. How can you find local foods near you? Its vitamin and mineral content depends on the practices of people all along the line, from the seed to the table, whether or not produce is local or transported from a distance. Still, farmers markets are only a tiny fraction of the food market. As an Amazon Associate FRN earns from qualifying purchases. And be sure to wash your produce thoroughly to reduce your exposure to pesticides — which is especially important for pregnant women and children. You are always free to easily unsubscribe at any time. Local food can be a big win for you, the planet, and your community. Local farmers, growers, artisans, purveyors, and restaurant-owners are needed to make locally grown foods work… or rather, sell. Information and resources shared by FRN are for informational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any type of disease or condition. These are just a few of the numerous potential benefits of eating local: It’s good for the environment. Produce such as broccoli, green beans, kale, red peppers, tomatoes, apricots and peaches are susceptible to nutrient loss when harvested and transported from longer distances, while those that are heartier such as apples, oranges, grapefruit and carrots keep their nutrients even if they travel long distances. Also, foods from local growers may contain less (or no) pesticides. At any food store, you can look for labels and signs that indicate locally grown and produced foods. Here are some surprising, and not-so-surprising, benefits: Depending on your area and the time of year, farmer’s markets may offer everything from fresh produce and flowers to freshly baked bread, as well as fresh-pressed juices and even specialty items like homemade cashew-based gelato. It helps you develop a connection with food. Healthy Holiday Recipes and Meal Planning Tips That Work for Everyone (and Will Make Your Gathering A Success! 10 Reasons to Buy Local Food. You vote every time you shop, and with knowledge comes the ability to support foods and growers you believe in. This type of food consumption is the basis for the popular 100-mile diet, which promotes buying and eating food that's grown, manufactured or produced within a 100-mile radius of the consumer’s home. Are you a locavore? To begin with, local foods often retain more nutrients. CSAs can operate on very different scales, with some serving only a dozen families while others provide food for more than a thousand households. And this is important for many reasons: Local food can be better for your health for a few reasons. Membership dues help to pay for seeds and plants, greenhouse expenses, equipment, labor, and other costs related to the workings of the farm. And for some people, “local” is more about the values of small-scale and community-based than about a specific geographic configuration. No growth hormones are given to pigs, poultry or dairy cows in Canada. If your area doesn’t have a local co-op, seek out fresh, local produce options from your local grocery store. A co-op is an organization that may look and feel like a conventional grocery store or natural foods store, but it’s owned by customers. To find a farmers market in your area, you can visit: Community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) allow people to purchase seasonal produce directly from local farmers. Very strict regulations regarding additives, pesticides, herbicides, etc. Have you wondered why it’s important to buy local food? Annual fruit consumption in Canada rose to 47.5 kg per person in 2008, a record high. By eating with the seasons, we are eating foods when they are at their most flavoursome, are the most abundant, and the least expensive. Eating in local places supports local businesses and the local economy, and it also builds connections between the local people and travellers. They were in decline during the development of the supermarket in the middle of the twentieth century. But with growing consumer demand in local and organic foods, the number of farmers markets in the U.S. has quadrupled in the past two decades — from almost 2,000 in 1994 to more than 8,700 in 2014. Choosing more plant-based foods is an important part of the equation as well.

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