Have you ever visited a farmer’s market? If you haven’t, it’s time you did. Farmer’s markets offer fun local events and wonderfully fresh locally grown foods.

You may have heard that local foods are better than those you can find in the store. If so, you’ve heard that because it’s true! But you don’t have to believe that just because you’ve heard it.

Would you like to know why there’s so much hype about local foods? Keep reading and we’ll tell you. Here are seven benefits to buying food that’s grown locally.

1. Greater Variety

Have you ever noticed that there really aren’t that many fruits and vegetables to choose from at a typical grocery store? Considering there are 7,500 varieties of apples alone, that means you’re missing out on a lot.

While growers for grocery stores focus on uniformity and easy harvesting, local growers have a different mindset. They’ll choose varied fruits and vegetables to grow, seeking for both variety and a longer growing season.

Have you ever seen these fruits and vegetables in an ordinary grocery store?

• Purple carrots
• Adirondack blue potatoes
• Forelle pears
• Black Krim tomatoes
• Apple bananas

This is only a very short list. There are countless fruits, vegetables, herbs, and more you’ll never encounter in a typical grocery store. So if you’d like to experience a whole new world of taste, head to a local grower.

2. Fresher Taste

The food found in big brand stores had to travel to get to you. It may have even come from another country. That means those fruit and vegetables were picked a while ago, so the flavor isn’t the best it could be.

You won’t run into this problem with a local grower. Instead, food is picked exactly when it should be, and it makes it to consumers shortly thereafter, in some cases on the same day!

The difference between a freshly harvested fruit or vegetable and one found in a grocery store can be mind-boggling. Once you’ve tasted the goodness of perfectly fresh produce, you won’t want to go back.

3. Encourage Healthier Eating Habits

The greater variety and more healthful nature of locally grown foods naturally encourage better eating. When perfectly ripe, delicious fruits and vegetables are better, those other treats may not be so tempting.

Raising children on a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables will help them love healthier foods. Set them out as snacks, add them to meals, and serve them for breakfast. The more children are exposed to good-tasting healthy foods, the healthier they’ll be.

And the same goes for you. We don’t just want healthy kids. You’ll reap the benefits of healthier food when you buy local, too!

4. Better for the Environment

Believe it or not, when you buy locally, you’re helping the environment. How does that work?

We already mentioned that food has to travel if you buy it in a store. Sometimes that distance is huge.

Produce may travel up to 2500 miles before it reaches your shopping location. Just think of all the fuel it takes to transport produce over that distance.

When you buy locally, you know you’re cutting down on the pollution that’s being added to the air. This means you can breathe easier knowing you’re doing a little something to help the environment. Plus, you’ll get fantastic food out of it too.

5. Social Enjoyment

For the most part, you probably tend to stay to yourself while grocery shopping at a store. That may change when you shop the offerings of local farmers. If you attend a farmer’s market, you’ll find all sorts of things to buy and do.

Get to know the local farmers, try samples of freshly-produced and created goods, and get to know your community. Make it a family affair, or take your friends for added enjoyment.

If you have your own vegetables and fruits you’d like to sell, consider being part of the farmers market yourself!

6. Fewer Chemicals

If you’d like to eat foods that are grown with fewer chemicals, you should shop local farms. In order to produce fresh fruits and vegetables that aren’t in season, growers for big stores use ethylene gas. This results in artificially ripened foods.

You won’t need to worry about that when shopping for local produce. And the food will probably have been grown with fewer, or even no, pesticides. When food is grown and sold locally, it doesn’t need to be treated for preservation’s sake, either.

Some local farmers may use non-traditional methods of farming, such as hydroponics. These methods produce healthy, safe foods that are grown in unique ways. Learn more about hydroponics by visiting Ernessi Farms.

7. Enjoy the Freshness Longer

Thanks to less traveling and fewer chemicals, the produce you buy from local farms will stay fresher. This extended shelf life means you can enjoy those foods for longer. And you won’t have to go to the store as often in order to keep your fruits and vegetables nice and fresh!

You’ll love having that fresh taste last longer. And, you won’t have to worry about having to throw out produce you forgot to eat on time. Not as much, anyway, since it will last you longer.

The Beauty of Locally Grown Foods

Locally grown foods are great for your body, your environment, and your local community. The benefits are virtually endless since all these things cycle together.

If you’re looking to add some new flavor to your menu, check out your local farmer’s market. Don’t be afraid to try vegetables and fruits that you haven’t seen before. A whole new world awaits if you’re willing to try new things!

Are you trying to work a healthier diet into your daily regimen? If so, grab some vegetables from a local farm and try them in these delicious low-carb recipes!