Do Not Buy Locally Grown..

Unless you want the Freshest Produce Available! 

You’ve probably been told a million times that you should buy locally grown. And, you’ve also probably seen local farmer markets sprout up around your neighborhood. But why should you buy local? What’s the benefit to you, your community and the environment?

1. Local food tastes better. By buying local, you are receiving the freshest possible produce, picked just hours before delivery to your local store. Produce that travels long distances is days older.
2. Local food is more nutritious. Once harvested, produce quickly loses nutrients. Since local produce is sold right after it’s picked, it retains more nutrients.
3. Local food preserves genetic diversity. Large commercial farms grow a relatively small number of hybrid fruits and vegetables because they can tolerate the rigors of harvesting, packing, shipping and storage. This leaves little genetic diversity in the food supply. Family farms, on the other hand, grow a huge number of varieties to extend their growing season, provide eye-catching colors and great flavor. Many varieties are “heirlooms” passed down through the generations because of their excellent flavor.
4. Local food promotes energy conservation. The average distance our food travels is 1500 miles, mostly by air and truck, increasing our dependence on petroleum.  By buying locally, you conserve the energy that’s used for transport.
5. Local food uses less packaging. Buying produce from a farmers market or from the local farm directly is a no-frills process that involves less packaging.
6. Local food supports local farmers. The American family farmer is a vanishing breed - fewer than 1,000,000 people (less than 1%) of Americans claim farming as a primary occupation. It’s no wonder: it’s hard to make a living when you get less than 10 cents of every retail food dollar. By buying locally, the middleman disappears and the farmer gets full retail price, in turn helping farmers continue to farm.
7. Local food builds community. By getting to know the farmers who grow your food, you build understanding, trust and a connection to your neighbors & your environment. The weather, the seasons and the science of growing food offer great lessons in nature and agriculture.
8. Local food preserves open space. Do you enjoy visiting the countryside where you see lush fields of crops, meadows of wildflowers, picturesque barns and rolling pastures? Well, this should also serve as a reminder that our treasured agricultural landscape survives only when farms are financially viable.
9. Local food supports the environment and benefits wildlife. Family farmers tend to be good stewards of the land – they respect and value fertile soil and clean water. And their farms provide the fields, meadows, forests, ponds and buildings that are the habitat for many beloved and important species of wildlife.
10. Local food is about the future. Supporting local farms today helps keep those farms in your community, ensuring that your children and grandchildren have access to nourishing, flavorful and abundant food. When you choose to buy locally, and make your choices known, you raise the consciousness of your family, friends and neighbors. 

    So let's support our local farms and our health - Buy Local whenever possible.

 

Resource Links:http://www.localharvest.org/buylocal.jsp
http://www.sustainabletable.org/254/local-regional-food-systems
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/business/smallbusiness/15recall.html

STATS
Journey Day:	98
Today's Calories:	1770
Daily Calorie Goal:	1800
Next Weigh In:	5/7/14
Days till Weigh-In:	17
Starting Weight:	351
Current Weight:	336
Lost So Far:	15

Daily Calorie Tracker
Sunday 4/20/14
	Calories
Breakfast
Multi Grain English Muffin	120
PB2 & Strawberry Jam	120
1 Hard Boiled Eggs	75
Hazelnut Crème Decaf	60
Bowl Organic Mixed Greens	0
Total:	375
Hazelnut Coffee	60
Total:	60
Lunch
Teriyaki honey spice grill chicken wrap w/peppers & onions, quinoa	425
Bowl Organic Mixed Greens	0
Hazelnut Crème Decaf	60
Total:	485
Snacks
Banana, Strawberry and greek yogurt, plain	150
Total:	150
Dinner
Tilapia With Peppers and Olives	395
2 Sm. Roasted potatotes	125
Lg. Salad - organic veggies	0
Total:	520
Snacks
Hazelnut Crème Decaf	60
1oz Almonds	170
Total:	230
Calories Burned	<50>
Daily Total:	1770
45 minutes Walking	<50>