11 Reasons To Shop and Eat Local

By ALFN Board Member Amy Pritchard

1. Local food supports the local economy – Your dollars go directly into the pockets of local growers and producers, and they in turn often reinvest the dollars in other local businesses.
2. Local food is fresher – ALFN growers pick food at its peak of ripeness to fill orders and deliver to local markets, while non-local fruits and vegetables can travel for days before they reach the store.
3. Local food is more nutritious – non-local foods lose nutrients over days of travel: eating food at its peak freshness also means eating food while it is still full of nutrients.
4. Local food is seasonal – which allows you to eat along with nature’s natural rhythms.  Remember the sweetness of the first berry you eat in the spring or the comfort you feel when eating roasted squash in the fall? That’s the joy of seasonal eating!
5. Eating locally helps the environment – local food requires less fossil fuels to transport and generates fewer greenhouse gases.
6. Local food preserves food diversity – many ALFN producers offer Arkansas heritage and heirloom products that have been grown locally and preserved for generations.
7. You can know exactly where your food was raised and how it was processed – on the ALFN website, you can find information about our vendors’ farms and practices.
8. Eating locally allows you to get to know your food producers – many of our growers and producers offer farm or garden tours or classes.
9. Eating locally gives you the opportunity to try new foods!  ALFN growers are able to produce smaller crops of unique fruits and vegetables that you don’t often see in stores like purple peppers, pea shoots, and purslane.  Wondering what to do with a food product?  Many producers share their favorite recipes on Facebook or upon request.
10. Eating locally promotes food safety – conventional food travels long distances and risks contamination along many points in its journey.
11. Local food tastes better.  Don’t believe me?  Order some fresh, seasonal, local food from our website and try for yourself!

Image from The Huffington Post