I feel like a lot of people say you should support local businesses but sometimes when we buy our food, we do not think about shopping local for our groceries. There are a few different ways this can be done.
However, first, why do we want to shop local. What are the benefits?
1. Supporting local farmers and food producers strengthen your community and local economy. On average, only 10 cents of each food dollar return to the farmer. The other 90 cents? It goes to packaging, marketing, and transportation. Farmers who sell directly to consumers receive on average 80 cents of each food dollar. That is a huge difference that affects the farmers in our community. Not to mention, a lot of the farms that sell to big box stores are large corporations not the small local farmer.
2. Buying local ensures you get freshly picked, in season produce at the peak of its flavor and nutrition. Nothing annoys me more than buying produce that looks good in the store but only lasts a couple days then goes bad. A lot of this has to do with the fact they are not fresh. Plus, if you don't buy local then it is picked too early then has to be transported to your store. This all affects the freshness and flavor.
3. Buying local from farmers markets allow you to buy food from a variety of food groups that contribute to healthy eating. These include fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. The markets will also include special treats that are all part of healthy balance of eating.
4. It's a learning activity. When you buy from the farmer, they can provide recommendations on how best to prepare the food. They can explain the process of growing or harvesting the food. In a 5-minute conversation with a local farmer, I learned more about one of the challenges the farmers have of getting their meat processed. When you buy from the farmer you can ask questions, learn about farming, and see how challenging it is for farmers to produce the food we eat. When you go to the store, I personally take this for granted. I forget there is a family behind those beans I buy and the steak I grill. Buying locally makes you more aware.
5. You can try something new. You can find more varieties from the local farmer than you will find at the grocery store. You also may be more apt to try something new if you can buy it fresh, speak to the farmer, and get some ideas on how to use it.
So how do you shop locally for your food products?
Farmers Markets are a great way to get a lot of local farmers in one place and to find a variety of products. Farmers Markets can be found all over. Springfield, Jacksonville, Champaign, and Havana are just a few places that have Farmers Markets in the area. Not to mention going to a farmers' market is a great seasonal activity. If you have a kid that likes to cook, maybe take them to the market and let them plan a meal from what they can find at the market. It would be a great learning experience and a challenge.
Buy your vegetables from a greenhouse and start a garden and grow your foods or you can buy seasonal produce from a produce stand. I do not have a great green thumb. I tried last year but was not super successful but there are some great food stands in my area that I love supporting. What's different than a farmers' market is that it is one farm, and they may have a limited amount of product.
Buy meat and eggs from a local farm. This has been something I have wanted to do, and it does take a bit of research unless you know someone. You have to look for farms in your area that sell what you are wanting. I've found people in the community are very helpful in suggesting farms. I know what you are thinking...it's got to be super expensive right? Well, not necessarily, I've found that the amount I spend for a good product in the store is not much different than buying directly from the farmer. I have successfully found farms in my area that I can buy my meat products from, and I am super excited. There is just something so cool about driving out to the farm to buy your meat.
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