You’ve probably seen signs around your town or articles on the internet encouraging you to consider buying locally produced goods. In our busy world, it’s much easier to run to the local supermarket and gather everything we need for a week rather than taking the time to visit local markets. At times, our budgets or lifestyles don’t allow us the luxury of buying local but if they do, here are a few reasons to consider buying locally this summer.
- Investing in your local community. Did you know that for every $100 you spend at a locally-owned business, $45 stays in the community. For every $100 you spend at a national chain, only $13 stays in the community.
- Less miles traveled. On average, the produce you purchase at a national chain has traveled 1300 – 1500 miles to get there. This means that your produce was not harvested when it was most ripe, but ripened in the process. In contrast, locally sourced food was probably harvested within the last 3 days and traveled less than 100 miles to get to you.
- Reduced environmental impact. As you can see from the distance produce travels, purchasing locally grown foods greatly reduces our environmental impact. Locally grown food also requires less packaging which cuts down on environmental waste.
So google your local farmer’s market, CSA, or neighborhood store and head on over for some healthy family fun!
Share this:
