Last week, we talked about shopping at your local farmers market and how to save money on fresh, seasonal produce. Did you get out and visit a farmers market? Any stellar finds to share? Today, we’re going to learn a bit more about what makes produce “local”. Is it a better choice than certified organic produce? Let’s look at local vs. organic produce.

What is “Local”?

Defining: You can find local produce in just about any grocery store these days. Defining “locally grown” isn’t as easy. The USDA (US Department of Agriculture) has pages of parameters to define “organic” food, but it has not drawn any lines for “local” food. Right now, retailers choose how to define the foods they sell as “locally grown”. Some stores may define local produce as anything grown within a 1-hour drive. Another store may use state lines to define local. In my grocery store, I’ve seen “local” produce grown on a farm four hours away. Do you know how your store defines local produce?

Benefits: What are some of the reasons to buy local produce?

-Nutrition. I just learned that locally sourced produce may be more nutritious than imported commercial produce! Any fruit or vegetable begins to lose some of its nutrients after it’s picked. The longer a food is sitting around, the further it has to travel, the less nutrients it will have. For example, this study from Penn State showed that spinach lost 47% of its folate after eight days. Food available in grocery stores is typically 4-8 days old, and sometimes it is a LOT older. Since locally grown produce doesn’t have to travel across the country, it’s usually fresher and, therefore, contains more nutrients.

-Carbon footprint. The further your food has to travel, the larger the carbon footprint (environmental impact). Transportation uses natural resources and releases pollution. Shorter travel distance = lower environmental impact

-Price. If you are buying local product directly from the farmer, you will likely pay less than retail prices. Plus, buying direct gives you the opportunity to buy in bulk for a discount.

-Know your farmer. If you have the chance to buy directly from the farmer, you can learn everything and anything about their agricultural practices: do they use synthetic pesticides? What kind of fertilizers do they use? Are any of their seeds genetically modified? Do they practice crop rotation? What other questions matter to you?

-Support your local economy. I like to “vote with my dollars”, so to speak. Given the choice between supporting a small, local farm or a large, faceless farm, I’d prefer to support my   local farmer.

Disadvantages:

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