Do Your Part: Support Local growers

The local harvest is getting underway and within weeks there will be a wide variety of local homegrown foods in season.

There are a numbers of reasons to purchase from local growers, either at the farm, roadside stands or at the Farmer's Market's. Fresh vegetables and fruits are the most nutritious, that is a no-brainer.

Buying locally helps the local economy, the money stays in the local community. It provides the income for many of our neighbors and friends and helps pay the wages of hired workers.

Locally grown fruits and vegetables are better for the environment, locally and worldwide (previous post). For more information and facts, Why Buying from Local Growers Benefits the Environment

HeliumWhy buying from local growers benefits the environment

Blogs I am following:

On Your Way to the Top

New York's Southern Tier

Urban Veggie Garden Blog

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Neighborhood Growers: Just Better

Local farms and neighborhood growers are important to any region and will likely by a wave of the future. Most are organic, or at least practice, many natural ways of growing produce and have less dependence on expensive chemicals and pesticides.

The food produced in the neighborhood is healthier. In most cases, the neighborhood growers are friends, acquaintances, even family and they are not going to poison the food supply with unsafe practices. There are even questions being asked about the safety of fish raised in some fish farms, you might want to be aware of this. Besides, most neighborhood growers and farmers are darn proud of their quality.

Purchasing food from neighborhood growers is also good for the environment. Much of the food found in supermarkets is shipped from thousands of miles away and gasoline isn't cheap. Nor is refrigeration. The more food that is purchased from neighborhood farms also helps to lessens national energy consumption.

Neighborhood farms and growers also provide employment and other opportunities. It is all money that stays in the local community.

The growing season is just getting under way in many regions and it is a good time to consider and go buy food from the neighborhood growers and farms. Strawberries, at least in the northwestern Pennsylvania, are in full swing now.

Many of the local growers are also actively involved in the community like the folks at Fresh from the Vines near Meadville. The Vines operate a great organic farm and bakery; are involved in many community programs. Some help is needed, according to Rebecca Vines to help find some housing for two Americacorps Vista workers who need an inexpensive place to live for th next year. Places are hard to find in the $300 per month price range (including utilities) and they are asking members of the community for help in finding a place for the workers. If you have any contacts or information, please contact the farm. The workers are expected to be in the area August 1st.

Some Blogs I am following: On Your Way to the Top and
Urban Veggie Garden

Pictured are some volunteers helping with the hand weeding at the Fresh from the Vines Farm and in the second photograph, Adam is checking out the now ripening strawberries at McNulty's Family Farm between Union City and Wattsburg on Route 8
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