You'll Get Exceptional Taste and Freshness.

Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste and freshness rather than for shipping and long shelf life.

You'll Strengthen Your Local Economy.

Buying local food keeps your dollars circulating in your community. Getting to know the farmers who grow your food builds relationships based on understanding and trust, the foundation of strong communities.

You'll Support Endangered Family Farms.

There's never been a more critical time to support your farming neighbors. Independent, family-owned farms supply more local jobs and contribute to the local economy at higher rates than do large, corporate-owned farms. With each local food purchase, you ensure that more of your money spent on food goes to the farmer.

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. Buy food from local farmers you trust. Local foods are more nutritious: food loses vitamins and minerals as it ages.

You'll Protect the Environment.

Local food doesn't have to travel far. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and packing materials. Buying local food also helps to make farming more profitable and selling farmland for development less attractive. Many of our local farmers use sustainable and eco-friendly practices to grow food.

LET'S GET LOCAL : HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

* Buy foods that are grown and produced locally whenever you can
* Buy meats and dairy products that are local, pasture-fed, organic and free-range
* Encourage supermarkets, local shops, pubs and restaurants to stock local items
* Hit the farmer's market before the supermarket
* Feed your freezer with local fruits and veggies to enjoy year round
* Get to know your farmer - they are food experts

When you buy local food you vote with your food dollar. This ensures that family farms in our community will continue to thrive and that healthy, flavorful, plentiful food will be available for future generations.