Top 7 Reasons for Eating Local Food

As our family enters the home stretch of 100 Mile Harvest we wanted to revisit the reasons for why we took on this challenge. Now that we have completed nearly a year of locavore living, we have a direct insight into the impact that this lifestyle has had on our health and on our planet. Follow us this week as we reveal our top 7 reasons why you should eat local food.

Reason #7 for Eating Local Food

Local food is fresher and tastes better than food that has been shipped thousands of miles across the country, or even internationally. The produce you find at farmers' markets is usually harvested just days before, while at its nutritional peak and ripened naturally. In contrast, many of the fruits and vegetables in supermarkets are picked weeks before they make it to the produce section. They are often harvested while still unripe (in order to give them a longer shelf life) and in the case of tomatoes, artificially ripened with ethylene gas to produce the visually-appealing red fruit we all expect to find year-round.

You've probably heard someone remark how there is "no tomato like a homegrown tomato." This simple truth is a reflection of the mediocre "flavors" so abundant in our grocery stores. When you start buying from local farmers, one thing you discover is that there is no such thing as "just a tomato." Instead, you'll find as many varieties as there are vendors, and usually more. Small farmers who don't have to select a species for attributes such as long shelf life or size are likely to pick for flavor and variety. This means a world of taste is opened up, and customers have the opportunity to find their own favorites among commercial and heirloom species.

Which brings up another benefit, that of discovery. Most of us would say that our supermarkets are stocked with all the produce we could ever want. However, as our family can attest, how often does one actually try new things out? Besides the tag that identifies exotic fruits and vegetables, what kind of knowledge do we get to assist in figuring out how to use something?

Immediately upon going the our first farmers' market last year, we discovered that our standbys (broccoli, onion, bell peppers, tomatoes) were not all in season. That meant we had the chance to explore new items, and the farmers were ecstatic about sharing preparation tips and recipes. In the process we found some new favorites – items we could enjoy for the length of the season, before saying goodbye and moving on to the next surprises.

Discovery, freshness, taste and nutrition...exactly what we expect in our food anyway, but not necessarily something we get shopping inside the box. What new flavors have you discovered?

Note: Other ways to get the benefits of fresh local food are to join a CSA or a co-op. But whichever route you go, always ask questions about how your food is being produced.