Top Ten Reasons to Eat Locally

1. Eating local means supporting the local economy. A dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction.

2. At farmers’ markets, most local produce has been picked inside of 24 hours where it comes to you fresh, ripe and full of flavour. While produce from the supermarket has been in transit or cold-stored for days or week.

3. Meet the farmer that grew your food, ask questions, see how it’s all grown and build relationships with farmers.

4. Meet your neighbours. Studies show that people shopping at farmers’ markets have 10 times more conversations than their counterpoints at the supermarket.

5. Learn to eat what’s in season. Eat foods when they are at their peak taste, most abundant and the least expensive.

6. Discover new flavours. There may be many foods that you have never heard of that can be found at your local farm or farmers' market.

7. Explore your home where you can become a tourist in your own region by visiting local farms.

8. Be healthy by eating more fruits and vegetables at their nutritional peak while eating less junk food and processed food.

9. Supporting local farmers supports responsible land development, decreasing urban sprawl. When you buy local you give those with local open space an economic reason to stay open and undeveloped.

10. Eating local is better for air quality and pollution as your food doesn’t need to travel an average of 1,500-2,000 miles to your plate, reducing carbon emissions.

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