You probably already know buying locally helps keep beautiful farmland landscapes in your area. You may have had the pleasure of a day's outing at a pick your own farm or have a friendly relationship with local farmers you see week after week at the farmers market. What a comfort to know the farmer isn't supplementing his product with melanine.
Here is another reason to buy local: to decrease our dependancy on oil.
According to The Land Stewardship Letter, in 1940 a farm produced 2.5 calories of food energy for every calorie of fuel energy it used. In 1974, the ratio was estimated as 1 to 1. Today it is estimated it takes 3 calories of fuel energy for every calorie of food enegy and that is at the farmer's gate! By the time it gets to the consumer it is 10-15 calories of fuel energy to 1 calorie of food energy. Why so much more to grow? Oil. Virginia Tech estimates that on the average midwestern dairy farm $8 of every $10 of expencse can be traced back to oil.
Eating seasonally as our grandparents did and using primarily local foods could save up to 90% of external fuel costs. It would boost our local economy and help protect our state food supply.
Eating is a political act.
