Why Local?
There are many reasons to choose to buy from local farms or from local farms at local markets, one of which is because of the environment cost of transporting food. It takes an average of 1500 miles for an average American’s food to get to their plate. Transportation is the largest contributor to air pollution in the country. Shopping locally greatly reduces air pollution caused by food transportation. Another reason to shop local is because of pesticides and hormones. Of surveyed (Centre county) local farms, none of them used pesticides or hormones. Conventional farms are known for using pesticides and hormones that can harm the environment. Another positive of shopping at local farms is that they sell their produce at the peak of their season. A lot of times at a regular grocery store, vegetables are bought when they are not in season.
"10 Reasons to Support Farmers Markets | CUESA." CUESA. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2016. <http://www.cuesa.org/learn/10-reasons-support-farmers-markets>.