Local food is sustainable
By purchasing locally grown food, you’ll help save energy—and fossil fuels—because you’ll reduce the cost of transporting your food from one end of the country, or globe, to the other. Studies have shown that in the U.S., the average grocery store’s produce travels nearly 1,500 miles between the farm where it was grown and your refrigerator. To go even further, organic food is grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, so you’ll save the energy required to make these compounds. In addition, you’ll help keep farmers and communities healthy, and help ensure the ability of our land to continue to provide food.
In York, our wonderful farmer’s market will be starting up again in June 2009. Details:
SATURDAYS:
June 6th through October 10th from 9:00AM to 1:00PMTUESDAYS:
June 30th through September 1st from 2:00PM to 5:30PMLocation: In the lot behind the York Chamber Visitor’s Center
Route One & I-95, Exit #7
Some more local farmers and farmer’s markets can be found at LocalHarvest.org.
Another option is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which allows customers to buy shares in a whole season’s crops at a local farm. An example is Andy’s Greens, a local provider of organic vegetables.
Finally, you can join the millions of American gardeners and grow some of your own vegetables and fruits. For that healthy and satisfying endeavor, you’ll of course want to consider purchasing a compost bin and/or a rain barrel through the York Energy Efficiency Committee.
