Do you know these five important reasons to buy local?
Quality
Local farmers can grow varieties for taste and diversity, rather than for shipping durability
Economy
Buying from a local farmer keeps your money in the community.
Open Space
Helping local farmers stay on their land helps keep that land free of subdivisions.
Health
When you buy local, you can learn more about how your food is grown and make more informed choices.
Environment
Shorter shipping distances translate into less fuel used, lower fuel emissions, less packing material, less wear and tear on trucks.
The terms “local” and “organic” are often used interchangeably. In New York, local is often organic, but not always. Local is defined in our region as about 200 miles, or 4 hours, or, for certain programs, produced in your state. Here in the northeast, local often also means coming from a small, family-owned farm.
Buying local usually means buying minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, baked goods, granola, eggs, dairy, meat…all the things we are accustomed to seeing at our local farmers’ markets.
Get started:
look for signs of origin in your grocery store
buy in season – What’s in season? View the NY State Department of Agriculture’s harvest schedule.
join a CSA or buyers club – How? A CSA runs out of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale May-November. It provides farm fresh veggies, fruit, eggs, and prepackaged meat. The CSA is open to the entire community, and available weekly or by-weekly. For more information visit https://www.thebayit.org/csa.
shop at farmers’ markets – Where? The Riverdale Y runs a Farmer's Market on Independence Avenue near West 246th Street on Sundays. The Church of the Mediator at 260 W. 231st Street also hosts a Farmer's Market, for information find them on Facebook or email here. Find additional markets at GrowNYC and Down to Earth.