Locally grown food better tasting, better for you
Food grown near you is fresher, riper and safer
By Robert N. Brewer, Jr. Extension Tips

With increasing worries about the safety of imported foods, there is an alternative. Buy food grown locally.

These foods are fresher. So they usually have more nutrients than foods that have been transported for several days.

Riper is tastier

Produce from local farmers has a chance to get more nutrients because it is often fully ripened before being harvested. This affects the flavor of the produce, too.

Locally grown foods are closer to you, so they taste better.

They are picked when they are ripe not when they are green.

Georgia farmers feel that their produce is better, and that people need to know they abide by much stricter safety regulations than many overseas operations.

More variety

The shipping process doesn't allow imported foods to have much variety. Local farmers grow varieties of crops that taste good, but don't necessarily ship well.

There is a movement to support local farmers so the can keep their land and keep growing their crops. People have a desire to feel a connection back to the farmer. If they know who is growing their food, there is a trust level about how it is handled.

The United States currently has 3,700 local farmers' markets, more than double what it had a decade ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

From the grocer or the farmer

Locally grown food is showing up in grocery stores, too. Stores are now beginning to provide sections for regionally grown produce grown.

Community-supported agriculture is also growing in popularity. CSA farmers provide locally grown produce to consumers who buy subscriptions from them.

We as consumers can really help farmers by asking for and choosing Georgia produce, and put money back into our communities.