Why Local Foods? Economics edition

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners did a study that demonstrated that if Americans shifted their diets to include 1% local foods, each farmer would see a 5% gain in their individual incomes.Or, if we wanted to make a bigger difference, we could buy directly from the farmers. 90% of the money spent on said food goes right back to the farm to grow more food, creating more jobs for the community, and more money flowing within the community, and less in the hands of giant corporations. 

Also, we have to think about transportation here people! Most food we get travels over 1,800 miles from where they are produced to your kitchen table. With that in mind, we have to think about all of the gas usage! Trucks to transport these goods to the airport, then the gas to fuel the plane, then another truck to transport the goods to a distributors source where it is then loaded onto yet another truck, to the store, then one final short car ride to your house, and voila, traditionally produced food is finally at your dinner table. 

Local foods, however, go by truck from the farm, to the store or farmers

market, then to your house. According to the website Sustainable Table, local foods use 17 times LESS CO² than traditionally processed food, leading to less environmental pollution.