If you live in California, we think you should check out Buy Fresh Buy Local! This informative website serves as a helpful guide to supporting local agriculture throughout California. Farmer’s markets, restaurants, grocers, bakeries, and farms are all included in this project. Even though many of us already understand the importance of buying locally, the message still has more minds to reach. That’s why a state-wide campaign like this can be very helpful for the cause. And for those of us who already support the local movement, Buy Fresh Buy Local may raise your awareness about local food options you may not have known about.
From the Buy Fresh Buy Local website:
We’re excited to provide you with tools you can use to support our local agricultural producers. Our online guide is a compilation of family farms, restaurants, grocers, institutions, and food artisans who share a common mission to support and promote local food. Whether they are growing fruits and vegetables to sell at a market, or a baker buying fresh ingredients from local farms, the folks listed in this guide strive to Buy Fresh and Local with the seasons, just like you.
The guide is simple to use: just tell it where you live and it will provide a list for you of local food purveyors in your area. Some of the reasons to support local agriculture include (from the website):
-Exceptional taste and freshness – Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries.
-You’ll strengthen your local economy – Buying local food keeps your dollars circulating in your community.
-You’ll help protect the environment – Local food doesn’t have to travel far. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and packing materials.
-You’ll safeguard your family’s health – Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers who avoid or reduce their use of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seed in their operations.
-Family farms are an American tradition in danger of fading away.
