The farm-to-table movement means that you are choosing produce, eggs, milk, and meat from local farms instead of from national supermarket chains. By doing so, you provide a lot of benefits for your family, your health, and your local community. Here are some of the primary benefits of being involved in the farm-to-table movement.
It Helps the Local Community
First of all, buying local is going to help the local economy and community. The farm-to-table movement means you buy the majority of your produce, milk, eggs, and meat from local farmers and ranchers. When you do this, you are helping local farmers instead of buying from corporate farmers from across the state or even on the other side of the country. These small farmers need all the help they can get. You can either buy from them directly, or go through a farmer’s market or CSA.
You Get Healthier Food
You are also eating healthier food with the farm-to-table movement by visiting and buying directly from family-owned local farms like the Lawndale Farm for instance. Since you are buying local produce, the fruits and vegetables are not being sprayed by chemicals so they remain fresh on a long journey across the country. This allows your family to have fresh produce that contains no additives or chemicals that really aren’t necessary. It also encourages you to eat more healthy foods when you realize the positive impact it has on your health and local community.
It Encourages Proper Animal Welfare
The farm-to-table movement allows you to buy your eggs, milk, and meat from local farms that tend to treat their animals much better. They aren’t mass producing these food items, so they aren’t as concerned with pumping their chickens and cows with hormones just to get more out of them. They are often grass-fed and get to roam freely around the farm, so animal welfare is not a concern like when you buy from corporate farmers.
Local Farmers Help Add to Environmental Sustainability
There are a few different ways farm-to-table can help with the local environment. First of all, less chemicals are used when you buy fresh and local produce since it doesn’t have to sit in a truck and travel long distances. Another way is also due to the fact that you get it locally, since the trucks aren’t using a lot of extra fuel to get to different supermarkets and there aren’t excess emissions being released. You can visit the farm yourself to pick up your produce and eggs, or have it delivered through CSA, who doesn’t have to drive far to get it to you.
