The Local Harvest Dish

1) Locally grown food tastes and looks better because crops are picked at
their peak.

2) Local food is healthier. The shorter the time between the farm and your table,
the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food.

3) Local food preserves genetic diversity. Smaller local farms often grow many
different varieties to provide a long harvest season, an array of colors, and the
best flavors.

4) Local food is safe. Considering the recent e.coli. contamination this issue is
becoming more of a concern to consumers. When consumers support a local
grower they know the source of their food and can look the farmer in the eye.

5) Local food supports local families. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers
cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food – which helps farm
families stay on the land.

6) Local food builds community. Consumers gain insight into the seasons and
the land on which the food grew. Local food systems provide an opportunity for
education because they allow access to a place where people can go to learn
about nature and agriculture.

7) Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid more for their
products by marketing locally, they’re less likely to sell farmland for development.

Local food keeps taxes down. Farms contribute more in taxes than they
require in services, whereas most development contributes less in taxes than the
cost of required services.

9) Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms
conserve fertile soil and clean water in our communities. The farm environment is a
patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat
for wildlife.

10) Local food is an investment in the future. By supporting local farmers
today, you are helping to ensure that there will be farms in your community
tomorrow