Evds2702marks’s Weblog

Today everything is about going green, solar powered buildings, low flow toilets and compact fluorescent light bulbs. However, another, more internal way to move  towards a greener lifestyle is to eat locally. Not only is it better for you personally, but also the environment.

Why Eat Locally?

1. Eating locally grown food tastes better.

• Food grown locally means less pesticides, less preservatives and less time spent transporting. When you eat food grown far away from where you live it has to be harvested early in order that it does not go bad by the time it gets to you. Therefore, eating locally grown food means that it will taste better because it can be picked at peak ripeness since it has only a short distance to travel. Also food will taste better because it will  be in season.

2. Eating locally is good for your health.

• Eating locally grown food is good for your health because smaller farms are less likely to use large amounts of chemical pesticides than bigger factory farms. It is also fresher, meaning more nutrients. Lastly it also preserves biodiversity which will prove to be helpful in the long run.

3. Eating locally helps to stop global warming.

• Eating locally grown food helps to reduce the amount of pesticide use as well as the need to transport food across the world. Less transporting of food means that there will be less burning of fossil fuels, helping to preserve the atmosphere.

4. Eating locally helps your economy.

• Eating locally grown food helps the economy because farmers can get the amount of money that their food is worth. It also provides more jobs, farming, packaging, and selling, at a local scale. It also encourages people to use the land that they have been given, utilizing it to its fullest potential.

*Information based off of http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/locally_grown.htm