Local Agriculture

Studies have shown that the farther food has to travel before it winds up on your plate, the lower its nutritional value. Moreover, food transport increases carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “produce [often] travels over 1,500 miles from plate to table.” You have to wonder how that sort of distance impacts both your health and the environment.

Fresh produce is genuine. Local and direct markets typically sell their produce within 24 hours of harvesting. Because the food does not have to travel far, it is fresher and lacks some of the additives typically found in industrially marketed produce. There are also probably less people that handle it. Furthermore, local farmers often value diversity when making their selection of variety, and “greater crop diversity from the farmer means greater nutritional diversity for the eater.” Both your body and the earth benefit from that diversity.

Click this link to check your area for local food markets today!

http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/ 

And click HERE for more information on how your food choices affect your health and the environment.