It feels so good to connect to your food! It is the basis of your body's sustenance. For a long time, our modern world disconnected us from our food source, but we are now starting to gain interest in connecting to where food comes from. We are also starting to grow our own food, even from our apartment balcony.
Let's explore the concept of local food and why it is so delicious and good for you and the planet.
How do I know it is local food?
Technically, to classify as local food, it must be sold and produced within a radius of 161 kilometers (100 miles).
Benefits of eating locally-grown foods
Eating local foods can improve your health, decrease your carbon footprint, and provide support to local economies.
Local food is healthier
Eating local food is healthier because it is much fresher and has been produced with a more natural approach than conventional market foods. This means that it is packed with nutritional value.
Conventional foods travel long distances and thus lose their nutrients. Plus, they simply don't taste the same as when they are fresh. Additionally, food bought from mass farming producers often use fertilizers and pesticides, and are filled with carcinogens that lead to various health conditions.
Sustainability
When you choose local food, you have a direct impact on the carbon footprint of the planet. Food is meant to be eaten locally and in season. When a "factory" type process is involved, we contribute to an enormous amount of emissions. Producing food this way impacts the very natural environment we need to produce it. Humanity is quickly gaining an understanding of the steps we must take to ensure environmental sustainability. Producing local food is a simple way to enhance our very own ecosystem, even as close as your own community. Also, the wonderful and magical thing is that is cheaper to eat this way!
Climate change
Lowering our overall greenhouse gas emissions by eating local foods will ensure a healthy and bountiful planet for future generations. Mass-producing food creates huge transportation activities that go against the health of the planet. Another amazing fact about eating local food is that you can help safeguard biodiversity and preserve farmland. This means that small-scale farmers will be able to use diverse cropping methods and create more open land.
Local economies
Whenever you purchase local food, you are enriching the local community. People who are growing food conscious are able to thrive. It is a way that we can ensure overall sustainability because we are helping the very people that know how to feed us with the nutrition we need to survive. Spending money locally has a ripple effect because the money local farmers make is mostly spent on other local businesses. It is a full circle that creates a thriving region.
Shop local foods at Famous Foods
Famous Foods is known in the community for having a variety of the freshest foods delivered by local farmers. Since 1929, we've provided the community with quality diverse foods that are nutritionally sound and simply delicious! Come check out our weekly specials and find out the latest happenings at Famous Foods on our blog.