Hi, y’all!

This is a guest post from my friend, Jeremy Day. I’ve enjoyed his writing for quite some time now and feel very honored that he’s sharing his thoughts on buying local produce with us.

I won’t keep you waiting. Give Jeremy a warm welcome!

Why Buy Local Produce – A Guide To Taking The Plunge

By Jeremy Day

So you’ve been thinking about buying local produce, but haven’t taken the plunge? To be honest, it can be difficult to eat all your food locally, if not downright impossible. But there are many reasons, and many ways to start buying and eating more local produce today.

First, the reasons…

1. When was the last time you ate something freshly picked off the plant? I can still remember the taste of the strawberries we used to grow on my parents property. They were so good and so full of flavor. If anything, this should be your biggest motivation for eating more local produce.

2. Buying local produce saves a lot on transportation costs. By some estimates, food will travel on average up to 1,500 miles before it gets on your plate. Imagine how much less we would really on oil if food didn’t have to travel that far.

3. Local produce has more nutrients in it. The longer it is off the vine, the more nutrients it will lose. The only exception to the rule is produce that is flash frozen. And if it’s frozen it is costing even more to keep it frozen when it is transported.

4. By getting to know the farmers that grow your food you are building a better sense of community. I think we can agree that we all benefit by being more knowledgeable about how food gets onto our plate, and into our bellies.

5. What might be the most important thing about buying local is keeping more dollars in your community. The more money that stays in your community the better off your community will be.

Now for some ways you can buy local…

1. You can buy direct from your farmer. Hopefully you have a farmer close by.

2. You can go through what is called a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. The way these basically work is that you buy “shares” in a farm earlier in the year. As the farmer harvests his crops he will send the first fruits to those who own shares in his farm. You normally will receive a box every week of the freshest produce in your area.

3. If your area is lucky enough to have one you can also visit your local farmer’s market. This is a way to get an even larger variety of produce, and other things people are wanting to sell. Specifically you can get baked goods, honey, and other things you might not get directly from a single farm. And it will all be goods made from local products and as you may know, local honey can be helpful with allergies.

4. Food coops have become pretty popular as well. These are basically a store owned by everyone who has a share in it, and it basically cuts out the middleman. So you get the best local produce and products at a more reasonable cost.

5. Finally there are many delivery services popping up around the nation to have fresh local produce delivered to your door. These may cost a little more, but people sure love the convenience of getting local produce delivered to them.

So there you have it. All the reasons and ways for you to start buying more local produce today. Since summer is almost upon us this is a great time to start looking at all the local produce you have access to.

Just remember when buying local produce that you double check if it is organic or not. While the majority of it tends to be organic, you still have to ask.

In any case, have fun finding the best local produce in your area.

Jeremy writes about local business news at Lokolee.com. If you love supporting local business, then Lokolee is the place to be.

Thank you, Jeremy!

Okay, y’all. What do you think? Do you buy local produce? Chime in and make Jeremy feel welcome!

Photo Credit: Lori L. Stalteri