Food for Thought! Keeping It Local!

Eating food that has been grown locally is becoming an ever increasing trend. In the last ten years, local farmers markets have increased in number from 1,755 to over 3,700. Smaller farms with greater biodiversity and a trend towards minimal pesticide use are being made available to consumers. Is this with good reason? We think so.

While industrial farms have increased food yields, they have also increased the use of pesticides and fossil fuels and have decreased nutritious top soil. Local farming tends to support agricultural practices that negate the use of these harmful practices. They promote reduction of greenhouse gases because there is little energy cost for transport. They reduce the need for petroleum-based fertilizers and synthetic pesticides by using biodiversity methods and by it's very nature, it reduces the need for resource intensive packaging.

So what does this have to do with human health? Perhaps more than we will ever know, but there are certainly a few connections we can draw from what we know now. Many of the pesticides that are still in use today have been observed to cause endocrine (hormone) disruption in lab animals which has been linked to breast cancer. One such chemical, Atrazine, has a body of evidence that presents it's harmful effects on human health and yet it is still in use. The biodiversity of local farms creates a natural resistance to the invasivness of unwanted plants and insects so you don't get exposed to these toxic chemicals. In addition, many food containers that are used in manufacturing contain BPA which has been linked to the initiation of reproductive cancers. The inherent nature of buying local produce negates the need for this middle-man step. And lastly, if local farms use growing techniques that align with organic practices then the nutritional value of their food is likely to be greater than that which traveled over 1,000 miles to reach your plate. See our blog "Why Organic?"...
http://healthlinksclinic.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-organic.html
Many of the local farms may not be "certified organic" because the cost of certification is out of reach for many of the smaller operations. However, they may use good farming practices that fit this healthier bill. Ask your local farmer if they avoid the use of chemical pesticides, GMO seeds or fertilizer from animals that have been treated with anti-biotics or hormones. If so, this is a good choice for you to keep it more nutritious and keep your "body burden" of toxins on the low side.

To learn more about community farming or to find one locally, visit http://www.localharvest.org/.