Move the Farm Not the Food
Why Local Produce Isn’t Always Local
Your Food And You
If you enjoy or want to incorporate lots of fresh greens and vegetables into your life, the questions you should be asking yourself are:
How fresh is the produce at my grocery store?
How long did it take to get there?
Who exactly did it come from?
In the last 50 years, the journey from the farm where food is grown to our dinner tables has changed dramatically. This is due to several reasons, the biggest one being the small amount of accessible land left to farm on. Land used to grow food now sprouts cities and suburbs. The rich land that was once a promise for people moving west, planting the seeds of revolution, is now owned by interlopers.
The result is that most of the fresh produce available in your local grocery store is now grown so far away from people that it has to travel from the farm into a barrel, onto a truck, to the depot, to the train, to a warehouse, onto another truck, to the market, and finally to your table. So while the grocery store may be local, your produce isn’t.
From farm to barrel to truck to depot to train to warehouse to truck to market to table.
Studies have shown that foods, including grapes, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and green peas, can travel over 2,000 miles before they get to your table. The average across all fresh produce is approximately 1,518 miles. Your food has typically been on the move almost as long as it has been in the ground and, as a result, has less nutritional value and flavor. That does not stop stores from selling to you at full price; only a fraction ends up going to the farmers who grew the food in the first place. In fact, for the calendar year 2021, farmers received less than $0.15 of each food dollar expenditure you made.
The distances some of our favorite crops travel when not grown at Area 2 Farms.
Moving the farm not the food
The United States of America was, quite literally, born on a farm. Our founder's vision when they spoke of the “seeds of revolution” was literally intended for seeds to serve as organic capsules containing the roots of life and the pursuit of prosperity. That same freedom and individualism is something we celebrate in this country today and why the United States has been a leader in farming and agriculture for more than a century.
All over America, dedicated farmers are working on bringing the farm back to our communities. So, why did we ever forfeit our agricultural responsibilities and decisions when we can do it ourselves?
The benefits of moving the farm, not the food.
Having a local neighborhood farm means that the food on your table is part of a thriving local economy. It travels the shortest distance without going through distribution, stores, and markets, giving you and your family the maximum flavor and nutrient value possible. To get it any better, you’d have to grow it yourself.
Seasonal produce imported by large grocery stores travels significantly further than seasonal produce grown by local farmers.
At Area 2 Farms, the maximum distance our food travels is 10 miles from our farm. In fact, over the past several seasons, we’ve averaged less than 4 miles to your table. Located in Arlington, Virginia, and serving the surrounding DC, Maryland, and Virginia neighborhoods, Area 2 Farms offers local, sustainable, organic, and seasonal produce all year round. We are proud to offer locally grown produce in a neighborhood farm experience. We care about feeding you and your family nutritious and delicious local food that is good for our planet, your body, and your mind.
Health Benefits Of Local Produce
Locally-grown produce is healthier and more nutrient dense
There’s quite a big difference between “fresh” produce, locally-grown fresh produce, and knowing the farmer who grows your locally-grown fresh food.
Local produce is fresher because it doesn’t have to travel as far before being consumed and can be harvested at its peak ripeness. After just 24 hours of being harvested, fresh produce begins to lose its nutrients.
To preserve the appearance of freshness, grocery stores harvest produce before it’s fully ripe so it can make the treacherous journey to stores before rotting or spoiling. During the long journey, changes in the air and temperature fluctuations endured by the food lower its nutritional value, particularly if that journey begins before the plants have even finished growing.
By comparison, local food is more nutritious because it’s only transported short distances and isn’t on the road long enough to lose its freshness. And it isn’t exposed to artificial elements, air with chemicals, or concealed in waxes used to preserve food for long-distance transport. Shorter supply chains are better for you and your food.
Less travel time for your food keeps it away from harmful artificial chemicals and preservatives, which helps keep produce fresher and nutrient- and vitamin-rich — not to mention maintaining its great taste and appealing coloring.
A short supply chain supports your relationship with local farmers, who help build vibrant local economies. Knowing exactly where your food comes from, and the names of the farmers who grew your food allows you to connect with your roots.
Shorter supply chains also lead to less potential contamination
Large-scale suppliers in the thriving food industry face a multitude of challenges in keeping up with food demand.
Did you know produce can become stressed by temperature, the atmosphere around it, artificial and too much light, and preservation methods which can cause the food to deteriorate and break down faster?
To preserve freshness, numerous regulations must be followed while hauling and storing fresh produce. But it comes with an unsavory and sometimes dangerous hazard: contamination.
The more produce is transported, the more contamination threats and dangers we are exposed to. And it will only get worse as more and more food is transported to meet global demand.
How Local Is “Local Produce” At Your Grocery Stores & Farmers Markets?
How supermarkets broke our food system
Before the supermarket and grocery store chains took control of our food autonomy with large-scale suppliers, most of our communities and neighborhoods used to be farm-to-table. With so much power held in so few hands, there is little choice, change, or transparency. Our reliance on supermarkets and grocery stores shines a harsh light on the many underlying issues we often don’t see on our shopping trips or family dinners.
A study found that 810,000 tonnes of plastic are produced each year by just 10 supermarkets collectively. And the food they sell can often be categorized as just plain unhealthy. Food sold in these markets isn’t always as nutritious as it appears due to a combination of chemicals, pesticides, and nutrient depletion. Not to mention the cosmetic perfection that stores like these uphold for their produce, resulting in tons of food being disregarded because of how it looks, regardless of nutrient value.
Why supermarkets aren’t so super for freshness
An apple from the grocery store is, on average 14 months old, putting it well over a year in transportation time. And some fruits and vegetables are particularly unfresh and even considered dangerous.
The dirtiest items are some of the most common in our shopping carts: strawberries, nectarines, peaches, and celery can be considered some of the worst offenders. This is because their porous and absorbent skin clings to harmful chemicals even after a wash.
What happens to produce as it travels?
According to this study, once produce is harvested, the essential nutrients they contain (like Vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as Calcium, Fiber, and Potassium, to name a few) begin to deteriorate. The farther the produce has to go, the more nutrient-depleted it is when it eventually gets to the grocery store.
How Long Is Produce Truly “Fresh” For?
Let’s take a look at some of the most common and loved fruits and vegetables and their lifespan from peak freshness to less-than-desirable:
Apples: 4-8 weeks
Bananas: 2-5 days
Avocado: 4-7 days
Blueberries: 1-2 weeks
Carrots: 3-4 weeks
Mushrooms: 7-10 days
Whether it be days or weeks, some hearty produce can hold up for quite a while before being eaten for dinner.
But regardless of the specific days or weeks involved, most produce spends its optimal freshness window in transit. And by the time it gets to your kitchen, it has likely been glammed up to mask its withering appeal.
True farm-to-table food eliminates the drawn-out travel time. It gets produce to your home well within the freshness window, allowing you and your family to taste and experience fresh local produce when it’s best for you before the freshness clock has run out.
Why We Are Moving The Farm To You
There are plenty of reasons to choose farm-to-table food for you and your family. By choosing local, you’re choosing to support your community, nourish your family, and trust that your food is safe and healthy. At Area 2 Farms, we are bringing the farm to you. Our local, sustainable, organic, and friendly neighborhood farm will keep you informed, nourished, and supplied with the healthiest produce possible all season long.
Experience fresh produce when it’s best for you, not the supermarket.
To ensure that you get all the delicious nutrients and vitamins your produce is capable of producing, it has to be fresh out of the ground. At Area 2 Farms, we ensure our harvests are full of nutrients and vitamins. And you’ll taste the difference. We bring good food to your front door and supply our surrounding communities with precisely what they need to promote healthy eating season after season.
Local, neighborhood produce doesn’t sit on a truck for days at a time.
To us, freshness is never out of season. Our farm has one purpose: to bring our harvested crops to you and your family as fast and efficiently as possible. We don’t let our produce hang around waiting to be delivered. As soon as it’s harvested, it begins its short trip to you. By excluding the middleman of the grocery stores and supermarkets, we can guarantee the shortest possible drop-off time from our farm to your home’s refrigerator. It’s as close to your dinner plate as we could get.
That way, your fresh produce is just as delicious and nutritious as when it was picked.
This is also a better system for the environment. At Area 2 Farms, we care deeply about the food that provides us with nourishment. Area 2 Farms’ growing methods and farm processes use fewer natural resources than large-scale farmers, making us a great eco-friendly choice for your food. And our produce is packed with love and the greenest greens, so you can be sure you are making a sustainable choice for our planet and a healthy choice for you.
The closer the farm is to you, the better.
On top of the food itself being good, it’s also good for local farmers. You’re helping support your community and your neighbors when you buy locally-grown food. So it doesn’t just nourish your family. It’s good for your community and your farmers, too.
We are finally ready to bring the farm back to our communities to eat as wholesomely as generations before us. And we are excited to connect with you and your family to begin the conversation about good, healthier food.
You can eat locally and seasonally with very little effort.
We love introducing our neighbors to new crops and specialty harvests from all over the world. At Area 2 Farms, we are constantly expanding our menu to bring variety and flavor to you, your family, and your taste buds.
The commitment never ends at the farm.
Taste What It’s Like To Be Part Of The Change
Area 2 Farms is proud to bring the farm to you, and we are committed to developing a new food system. One that prioritizes your health, our communities, and the farmers that serve both. Every day, more people and families are turning to local, fresh, organic, neighborhood farm food to keep their tables full of delicious, nutritious, truly local food grown by someone you know.
By joining us, you’re joining a path to a healthy, bright, greener future.
Check out our harvest options below and get a taste of what it’s like to be part of the local farm movement. We’ll be happy to have you join us.
