Why Not Support The Local Farms In Your Area

In the past decade America has seen a real boom in small local farms producing fresh produce. These small mom and pop operations are an excellent source for fresh produce and you can often find them selling their wares at a local farmers market. Why not support the local farms in your area and get product that’s fresher, has more flavor, is cheaper, and much better for you.

These small local farms are cropping up all over because they were quick to recognize a niche market that truly exists. In our modern world we are very dependant on buying our meat, dairy, and fresh produce at the local supermarket. The trouble is quite often these products aren’t that fresh. They’ve been trucked halfway across the country, and then they sit on the store shelves.

In some ways our modern society is actually going backwards. With our more health conscious lifestyles we are quick to recognize the nutritional value of fresh food. And so like our forefathers we seek to purchase fresh product and that’s where the small local farms come in.

Locally grown produce is a lot fresher! Normally it is harvested a day or two before it hits the market. And you’ll instantly know it’s fresh as you bit into that carrot or apple that’s just loaded with flavor. Oh my a carrot that actually tastes like a carrot.

Not only can you purchase fresh produce from your local farmer you can purchase fresh eggs, and sometimes products such as honey, cheese or fresh flowers are also available.

Not only do these products taste better they are much more nutritious and safer. Product that has to travel thousands of miles is often picked before it is ripe so that is just ripening when it reaches the store. The problem is that a lot of the nutritional value is lost by doing this. Add that to the length of time that it sits on the shelf, there is actually very little nutritional value left in it. So although we try to do the right thing and feed our families fresh produce in actuality it is not that simple. But if you visit your local farm for your produce then it is packed with nutrients to help keep your family healthy.

Local grown food is also much safer. Large commercial farms use a lot of chemicals to make their crops profitable. Large biotech companies have been experimenting with genetically altered products for years. Local farmers tend to grow their product the old fashion way. Good soil care, rotation of fields, with as few chemicals as possible, depending on mother nature for the rest. So the produce you buy from your local farmer is less likely to be toxic with chemicals and much more likely to be rich in nutrients.

Now if those aren’t enough benefits you can even save a great deal of money. Now what a concept – eat healthier, eat safer, and eat cheaper. Who couldn’t live with that? Local farmers don’t have the costs associated with transporting their product half way around the country. Generally they will sell their products a farmers market, small locally owned grocery stores, or right from their farm.

There is also something very cultural and very social about going to a local market. It’s like a taking a step back in time. There’s a mood and a culture that goes with most markets. At the market there are friendly, smiling faces, people chatting and a relaxed atmosphere. You get to meet the people who so lovingly have grown the produce you are about to buy. There is a very real sense of community.

Local farms are very valuable to the communities they support. Crops create a wide open countryside and as long as the local farm exists these areas won’t be turned into commercial developments. You might wonder why that’s so important. Well besides the beautiful landscape that it preserves it also helps support a cleaner and less polluted environment for the wildlife and the people of the area.

Local farms are also a great savings for the tax payer because on average a lot fewer tax dollars get spent on rural areas. For example for every $1.00 collected in taxes for a residential area almost $2.00 is spent to support the area. Where as for every $1.00 collected in a rural area only .35 cents is spent to support the area. Because local farms pay more taxes than their areas actually use they create a surplus for local towns and cities.

Local farms also do their part to clean the environment. They are responsible for cleaning up 10 to 20% of the carbon emitted by vehicles and industry.

So why not support the local farms in your area? By doing so you provide healthier food choices to your family and you ensure that they will be in business in the future doing their part for the land and environment. You have nothing to loose and lots to gain!


Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.