While produce that is purchased in the supermarket or a Big-box store has been in transit or cold-stored for days or weeks, produce that you purchase at your local farmer's market has often been picked within 24 hours of your purchase. This freshness not only affects the taste of your food, but the nutritional value which declines with time.

Food grown in your community was probably picked within the past day or two. It's crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. Produce flown or trucked in from California, Florida, or Chile is quite understandably, much older. 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.

Because the produce will be handled less, locally grown fruit does not have to be "rugged" to stand up to the rigors of shipping. This means that you are going to be getting peaches so ripe that they fall apart as you eat them, and melons that were allowed to ripen until the last possible minute on the vine.

By eating with the seasons, we are eating foods when they are at their peak taste, are the most abundant, and the least expensive.

Whether it's the farmer who brings apples to market, or the grower of fresh sweet strawberries, knowing part of the story about your food is such a powerful part of enjoying a meal.

When you buy local, you give those with local open space - farms and pastures - an economic reason to stay open and undeveloped.

A well managed family farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and clean water are valued. In addition, the habitat of a farm, the patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings, is the perfect environment for many beloved species of wildlife.

Buying locally-grown foods decreases dependence on petroleum, a non-renewable energy source. Remember, the average distance food travels in distribution is 1500 miles. By buying local, you can conserve the majority of energy used in shipping.

When you buy direct from the farmer, you are re-establishing a time-honored connection between the eater and the grower. Knowing the farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the weather, and the miracle of raising food. Relationships built on understanding and trust can thrive.

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. And when you make this choice, you cannot help but raise the consciousness of your friends and family.