Where can I buy locally grown food?

Check out this resource for more details! A Guide to Seminole County’s Local Farms and Farmers Markets 2020.

Why buy locally grown food?

You can support your local economy.

Buying local products can support businesses in your own community. When you buy local, you are often buying directly from the farmer. If food has to travel a long distance to reach the buyer, there is a cost to the farmer to transport this product. There also may be a cost for a retailer to sell this not locally produced product. Buying directly from the farmer can lower the transportation and retail costs. For this reason, more money from your purchase goes back to the farmer in your own community.

Locally grown food can taste better.

Local means that the product is in season and did not have to travel far to reach your hands. Since locally grown food is from right down the road, it is harvested at its peak. After a product is harvested, the sugars will start to break down, so the sooner you eat it, the tastier it will be. Your local products may have even been picked less than 24 hours from the time you buy it. This means that your locally grown food is packed with flavor and ready for your enjoyment!

Buying local can help the environment.

The cost for transporting produce is not just monetary. Transportation of products by truck, plane, boat or other means usually burns fossil fuels. This contributes to the emission of harmful greenhouses gasses into the environment. Moving produce long distances can also require more packaging and use more resources. Since your locally grown food didn’t travel as far, it cuts back on the environmental costs related to long distance transportation.

You can talk with the farmer about where your food came from.

If you are buying directly from a farmer, you can talk to them about how your food was grown. In addition to learning about local farming operations, you can ask questions that you may have. Is this product organic? Do you practice water conservation efforts on your farm? Do you use integrated pest management to reduce your use of pesticides? This gives you a chance to interact with others in your community while you learn more about your food.

0