Five Reasons to Eat Local
Your food shouldn’t need a passport
Have you ever heard of food miles? That’s the distance that your food has traveled. If you’re not shopping for locally-grown food, a simple salad could rack up hundreds, if not thousands, of food miles. And this concept of traveling food affects other aspects of your meals that you may have not considered.
Nutrition
Much of the produce at the grocery store has been bred specifically to increase grower profits through higher yields, using methods that increase pest resistance. Commercially grown fruits and vegetables are also picked before they are fully ripe so that they’ll withstand shipping and last longer in stores.
The shorter the time between harvest and your plate, the more nutrients your food retains. Locally-grown produce doesn't sit on shelves or travel long distances, which can deplete its nutritional value. In fact, studies show that vegetables can lose up to 30% of their nutrients within 24 hours of being picked. By eating locally-grown produce, you get more of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
2. Variety
When was the last time you saw tatsoi microgreens, mizuna, or wasabi arugula at your grocery store? The reason that your supermarket’s produce offerings are so monotonous is because it doesn’t make sense to stock produce with a short shelf life, which unfortunately limits variety. If you do all of your shopping at a grocery store, you miss out on several varieties of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Carrots come in many colors besides orange; there are over 60 different varieties of basil. Take a trip to a local farm and you’ll see much more variety in the food grown. And this variety is beneficial - consuming a diverse array of colorful fruits and vegetables is good for your overall health.
3. Freshness and Flavor
Ever wonder why that farmer’s market tomato you bought in July tasted so much better than the perfectly round grocery store tomato you bought in February? Along with diminishing nutrition profiles, produce that travels just doesn’t taste as good. Local produce is harvested at their peak ripeness and delivered quickly, ensuring they are fresh and full of flavor.
At Area 2 Farms, we harvest our produce every Tuesday and deliver it to your door on Wednesday or Thursday. This short farm-to-table trip ensures that you receive the freshest, most flavorful produce.
4. Seasonal Eating
When you source your produce from a local farm, you’ll be getting seasonal produce. And eating seasonally means your body is getting an increased variety of nutrients and flavors.
As an indoor farm, Area 2 Farms has a unique advantage: we can grow anything at any time. But we choose to grow and deliver seasonal crops because our bodies’ needs change with the season and eating this way benefits our health.
5. Supporting the Local Economy
Buying from local farmers keeps money within your community, supports local jobs, and strengthens the local economy. It helps small farmers, rather than large corporations, thrive.
When you purchase a weekly vegetable delivery from Area 2 Farms, you directly support local farmers and help sustain the local agricultural economy.
Area 2 Farms for Locals
Your food should be equally accessible and nutritious. Which is where we come in. We’re Area 2 Farms, we grow organic produce, deliver it to your door weekly, and operate all within 10 miles of you.
