I would like to share some thoughts about the value of locally grown foods.

America is richly blessed with a bountiful variety of small family farms. Tremendous product diversity comes from dairy farms, farms that raise pastured livestock for meat & eggs, to vegetables & fruit farms, and farms that produce honey, maple syrup, herbs, and products of all kinds. By and large, the small family-farms of this Nation are committed to quality and dedicated to stewardship.

But in order to survive, these farmers need to make a living. They must be supported by their communities who should be giving serious attention to the importance of buying locally grown food.

Here are 5 good reasons to buy local and support the small family farms in your community and surrounding areas.

1. Locally grown food is simply better for you. It is authentically fresh. There is a shorter span time between the farm and thy table, so the food retains most of its nutrients and it is therefore better for thee.

2. Locally grown food looks & tastes better. Crops are picked at their peak and handled with care. Imported foods have been picked early, artificially ripened, traveled on trucks, trains or planes, and then lingered in warehouses before getting to thy area. Some studies have shown that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is more than 1,500 miles.

3. Local farmers are not anonymous people. They take their responsibility to their consumers seriously and there is a unique kind of assurance that comes from looking a farmer in the eye when purchasing thy food.

4. Local food supports local families and builds community. The wholesale prices that farmers get for their products are low, often near the cost of production. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get the full retail price for their food - which helps farm families stay on the land. Knowing farmers gives thee insight into the seasons, the land, and thy food. In many cases, it gives thee and thy family access to a place where thy children and grandchildren can go to learn about nature and agriculture.

5. Local food is an important investment in the future. By supporting local family farmers today, thee is helping to ensure that there will be traditional family farms in thy community tomorrow.

So, if thee values the agricultural landscape of thy community, and the small family farmers who toil on the land there, then buy local. Resist the urge to make produce purchases at the big box stores during the seasons when thee can make those same purchases at a local farm or farmers market.

Thee might also consider volunteering thy time to local organizations that are promoting locally grown food initiatives. I myself had the honor of being elected and serving as the first president of a locally grown foods association in my own northern Michigan community. Every effort counts and is important for both small farmers and the communities they serve.

I thank thee for visiting the Quaker Kitchen and I hope thee will stop by again soon!