Freshness & Taste.  Locally-grown fruits and vegetables are usually harvested within 24 hours of being purchased. Local farmers grow and raise foods for their taste and nutrition, not for durability in harvest, shipping or storage.

Nutrition.  Nutritional value declines as time passes after harvest. Because locally-grown food is fresh, it is more nutritionally complete. Studies indicate that organically grown produce has more of certain nutrients.

Cost.  Our globalized food system produces cheap food, but it costs more than you think. We all pay the price when farmers can’t grow crops at a profit, when water wells are contaminated by agricultural chemicals, and when store-bought foods look good, but are tasteless. When you buy local, organic foods, you get more for your money.

Avoid the Unknown.  Produce grown with banned pesticides is imported into the United States. Meat may come from animals raised in confinement and fed hormones or antibiotics. Organic foods are produced and processed under special standards. Organically-raised animals have outdoor access and don’t get antibiotics or hormones. Organic crops are grown without the use of synthetic chemicals and without genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Regional Food Self-Reliance.  Dependence on distant and global food sources leaves us vulnerable to supply disruptions. When you buy foods from local Farmers, you create a relationship of mutual support that enhances a community’s economic vitality, and keeps family farms alive.

Protect Our Environment and Your Health.  Farming with synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers can cause water pollution, and leave unwanted pesticide residues on the food we feed our families. You can protect our natural resources, your health and improve the environment by choosing local, organic foods.