Buy Locally

In honor of Small Business Saturday I thought we could discuss the positives of grocery shopping locally. You have probably heard the campaigns promoting "Buy Local" or "Get to Know Your Farmer."  I think these are great movements and I hope you heed the advice.
Here are my top 3 reasons to do so:

1. Buying locally offers growth for small ranches and farms.  Support of small operation farms helps secure the future for the next generation of farmers.   Growth could also be in the form of jobs too.
2. Locally grown produce is usually associated with freshness.   On average grocery store produce was picked 4-7 days prior to it making it's way to the shelves and your kitchen.  Livestock raised on a family owned and operated ranch are usually treated far more ethically than those in large, mass produced beef, pork and poultry factories. 
3. Most importantly - if we all started buying locally it will build an infrastructure necessary to support a local food system.  That framework can't be built overnight.

So shop at your farmers markets and buy from neighborhood farms.  Check this website. Just enter your zip code and you will find a list of what your area has to offer.

Don't forget Saturday's from May through October there is a farmers market at the corner of Highway 95 & Prairie.