Why Buy Local?
"Going local does not mean walling off the outside world. It means
nurturing locally owned businesses which use local resources
sustainably, employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily
local consumers. It means becoming more self-sufficient and less
dependent on imports. Control moves from the boardrooms of distant
corporations and back into the community where it belongs.” (Shuman
2000)
Buying from local farmers markets is, on average, 25% cheaper than
buying at grocery stores. Along with that, it is better for the
environment. While reducing your carbon footprint is more dependent on
what food you eat and less on if it is local. It is still possible to
reduce your carbon footprint by up to 5% simply by eating local foods.
It is healthier for you too, since preservatives won’t be used unless
shipping long distances. Getting access to fruits and veggies also adds
a lot to your diet. In-season food also just tastes better, or at least
I think so. So what can you do to get more, in season, food?
“Go shopping without a menu,” she tells me. “Get what appeals to you,
what you feel like eating, what you see that’s available, and then go
home and make your menu. That’s what makes shopping at farmers markets
and shopping seasonally and locally much more satisfying.” Says
Geneviève Stillman, of Stillman’s Farm
Sources:
Buell, Spencer. “What’s in Season? Your Guide to Eating Local This
Year.” Boston Magazine, Boston Magazine, 21 Sept. 2021,
www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2018/05/11/in-season-local-produce-massachusetts/.
Reducing Food Waste in Massachusetts,
mafoodsystem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/foodwaste2019.pdf. Accessed
13 Dec. 2023. Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser. “You Want to Reduce the
Carbon Footprint of Your Food? Focus on What You Eat, Not Whether Your
Food Is Local.” Our World in Data, 23 Nov. 2023,
ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local#:~:text=This%20means%20that%20if%20we,from%20producers%20in%20your%20area.