Do you ever wonder if the choices you make at your local grocery store have any impact on the global scale? If you choose to support supermarkets that partner with local farms, then you most certainly are helping more than just your immediate community! Farm-to-table establishments are creating a sustainable and healthy culture.
What Does Farm-to-Table Mean?
Farm-to-table, also known as field-to-fork, essentially means that you obtain food products directly from your local farms and producers. You aren’t buying items that have been shipped halfway across the country. It’s an organic and sustainable way to shop for the food you love right from your neighbors.
Five Ways Farm-to-Table is Good for You
Shopping for locally sourced goods has a multitude of benefits. We’ve highlighted the top five reasons why you should support the farm-to-table movement.
Preserves Taste and Maximizes Nutrients
The most noticeable difference when you choose to shop farm-to-table is that your food will taste better and have more nutrients. Shopping local means that your produce is harvested at peak time and in your possession shortly after. Ripe produce is packed with nutrients and flavor!
On the other hand, if the produce is shipped to a grocery store, the products are picked before they are ripe so they ripen by the time they arrive at the store. In the process, these products appear ripe on the outside, but lack flavor and nutrients.
You Know Exactly Where Your Food is Coming From
Farm-to-table emphasizes knowing all about the products you are buying and consuming. There are no guessing games when it comes to shopping local. These products don’t need to be pumped with preservatives to ensure they are still good when they arrive thousands of miles away. Instead, your food stays local and the ingredients are honest.
Reduces the Carbon Footprint
Not only is farm-to-table better for you and your family, but it’s also better for the environment. With local farms harvesting the crops, your food doesn’t need to be run through a factory nor is it mass produced. By not shipping food thousands of miles, this decreases greenhouse gas emissions from trucks.
Ward’s Supermarket brings down the national average distance of 1,500 miles it takes for food to make its way to your home by offering local products in our store!
Supports the Local Community
When you choose to buy products from local farms and vendors, you are directly supporting businesses within your community. This boosts your local economy while also financially supporting your neighbors. For every $100 spent at a local business in your community, $73 stays in the local economy!
Not only are you keeping your money circulating in your community, you are also helping farms and vendors provide healthier options in your hometown. The farm-to-table movement makes it so that healthy, local products are readily and easily available.
Creates a Regular Lifestyle for the Next Generation
Farm-to-table isn’t just one decision. It becomes a lifestyle, and one that is beneficial to you, your family, and your community. Choosing to prioritize local products when you are grocery shopping is just one step into making farm-to-table the first choice in purchasing food. By taking proactive steps now, we are creating a movement that the next generation will accept as their normal grocery shopping habits.
Farm-to-Table Shopping with Ward’s Supermarket
Here in Gainesville, you can shop farm to table products at Ward’s Supermarket. We partner with dozens of local farms along with local vendors to offer the freshest products at low prices. While you may not notice it, choosing to support local farms and businesses makes a difference beyond just your plate, but the entire globe.
