• Help your local farmers!
  –  You can support your network of local farmers!
  – The products are directly selled to the consumer – to you! By passing the “middleman“ (which is the store), your local farmer gets the full retail price and can continue farming!

• Better quality!
  – The local products do not have to travel far which makes them less likely to get damaged!
  – The nutritional contents are determined by the farmers – better for you!
  – The flavor is natural – no chemicals!

• Do your environment a favor!Our food travels about 1500 miles per air and truck. You can help saving energy that is used for transport!
  – The products do not have to travel far which leads to the cut of fossil fuels!
  – Conserving water resources leads to clean water!
  – You support the purity of fertile soil!
  – Help the wildlife by preserving their habitat!
  – Less packaging is needed due to the no-frills process! (A method to lower the costs in companies by leaving out non-essential parts of the product in order to provide cheap prices)
  – The beautiful countryside and cropfields only exist when farms are financially stable! The value of the land thus increases!

• Freshness
  – With time, sugars turn to starches – the short travel route of the local products helps preventing!
  – Plant cells do not shrink!
  – Your food does not lose vitality and flavor!
  – Nutrients do not get lost!

• Diversity!
  Family farms grow a huge number of varieties and hybrid fruits and vegetables, providing eye-catching colors and nice flavors! The reason ist hey do not have to stick to certain given rules and rigors of harvesting, packaging, shipping or storage.

Sources:

• http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/why-buy-locally-grown (website accessed on 14th November 2014)
• http://www.localharvest.org/buylocal.jsp (website accessed on 12th December 2014)

 (written by Tara Kia)