2) Our future - Organic farming is based on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.

3) Better flavor - Plants grown in healthy soil and organically fed livestock provide us with more flavorful food.  More and more chefs across the country are choosing organic ingredients.

4) Family Farms - Most organic farms are small and independently operated family farms.  There is a growing trend to larger-scaled farms converting to organic practices.

5)  Our environment - Organic farming supports natural ecosystems  by making choices that look at the long-term rather than the short-term effects.  This restores, maintains, and enhances ecological harmony.

6)  Our soil -  Organic agriculture works to build productive nutrient rich soil that minimizes topsoil erosion.

7)  Our water -  Organic farming seeks the most environmentally friendly solutions that contribute to the overall quality of our lakes, rivers, estuaries, ground and drinking waters.

8)  Save energy -  Organic farming is less reliant on non-renewable energy resources, substituting renewable resources or labor when economically feasible.

9)  Biological Diversity - Organic agriculture respects the diversity within the environment, including the protection of plant and wildlife habitats.

10) Supports a true economy -  Buying and growing organically is a choice that positively effects the future health of our planet.  This choice can  spare us the very costly expense of cleaning up pesticide-related environmental clean-ups in the future.
 
 

What do you think of when you hear the word “agriculture”?  The image of plants growing in a field or a barnyard full of animals may come to mind.  But, even if you don’t live on a farm, agriculture is all around you.

Most food travels over 1,500 miles before finally reaching our dinner table.
 Be a Local Hero….. Support Your Local Farms.
 
 

Many people understand that buying the healthiest and most sustainable food is one of the best thing they can do for their families.

More Fresh….Better Taste….
Better Quality…. More nutritious
 
 

1) Locally Grown Food tastes better
Food grown in your own community was probably picked within the past day or two.  It’s crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. Several studies have shown that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles.  In a week-long (or more) delay from harvest to dinner table, sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality.

2) Local Produce is Better for You
A recent study showed that fresh produce loses nutrients quickly. Food that is frozen or canned soon after harvest is actually more nutritious than some “fresh” produce that has been on the truck or supermarket shelf for a week.

3) Local Food Preserves Genetic Diversity
In the modern industrial agricultural system, varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen simultaneously and withstand harvesting equipment; for a tough skin that can survive packing and shipping; and for an ability to have a long shelf life in the store.  Only a handful of hybrids varieties of each fruit and vegetable meet those rigorous demands, so there is little genetic diversity in the plants grown.  Local farms in contrast, grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of harvest, an array of eye-catching colors, and the best flavors.  Many varieties contain genetic material form hundreds or even thousands of years of human selection; they may someday provide the genes needed to create varieties that will thrive in a changing climate.

4) Most Local food is GMO-free
Although biotechnology companies have been trying to commercialize genetically modified fruits and vegetables, they are currently licensing them only to large factory-style farms.  If you are opposed to eating bioengineered food, you can rest assured that locally grown produce was bred as nature intended.

5) Local food supports local farm families-
With fewer than 1 million Americans now claiming farming as their primary occupation, farmers are a vanishing freed.  And no wonder commodity prices are at historic lows, often below the cost of  production.  The farmer now gets less than 10 cents of the retail food dollar.  Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food – which means farm families can afford to stay on the farm, doing the work they love. 

6) Local Food Builds Community- When you buy direct from the farmer, you are re-establishing a time-honored connection.  Knowing the farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the weather, and the miracle of raising food. In many cases, it gives you access to a farm where your children and grandchildren can go to learn about nature and agriculture.
 

7) Local Food Preserves Open Space
As value of direct-marketed fruits and vegetables increases, selling farmland for development becomes less likely.  A landscape that includes farms will survive only as long as farms are financially viable.  When you buy locally grown food, you are doing something proactive about preserving the agricultural landscape.

8) Local Food Keeps Your Taxes in Check
Farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas suburban development costs more than it generates in taxes, according to several studies.  On average, for every $1 in revenue raised by residential development, governments must spend $1.17 on services, thus requiring higher taxes of all taxpayers.  For each dollar of revenue raised by farm, forest, or open space, governments spend 34 cents on services.

9) Local food Supports a Clean Environment and Benefits Wildlife
A well-managed family farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and clean water are valued. According to some estimates, farmers who practice conservation tillage could sequester 12-14% of the carbon emitted by vehicles and industry.  In addition, the patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings is the perfect environment for many beloved species of wildlife.

10) Local Food is About The Future – By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow, and that future generations will have access to nourishing, flavorful, and abundant food.

There are several things you can do to ensure you are getting locally grown food. First is to eat seasonally as much a possible.  If someone is selling sweet corn in May, you can be sure it is not grown locally.  Make an effort to know the seasonal availability of local food to make sure you are getting locally grown. Another way to ensure you are eating locally grown food is to get to know the farmers. Actually knowing the person who grows your food is a powerful way to take control of the quality and character of the food you consume. There are many opportunities to support local communities and eat fresh healthy food across the region by buying local.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct connection between the farmers and the consumers.  To join a CSA is to buy a share of the season’s harvest.  The farmer gains the security of knowing he or she has been paid for a portion of the harvest and the farmer’s “community” participates in how and where their food is grown. This direct connection puts the face and place of food in full view.

Farmer’s Markets – There are many farmer’s markets in the greater D.C. region. Each market is different—reflecting the desires of the local community and the farming conditions in the area.  They all provide a direct connection between the farmer and the consumer and have the freshest, healthiest food available.

Pick-Your Own Farms  -- Our region is blessed with many pick your own farms.  Apple orchards thrive in the mountains and are great fall fun for the whole family.

Encourage your local health food stores and local restaurants to carry locally grown and produced products.  Then support their efforts.