“The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? The food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests. It was near kitchens, tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard.”-Joel Salatin, Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World.

Do you want to know why most of your food has been shipped from who-knows-where?

Because it’s cheaper.

Huge factory farms produce food in mass using pesticides, machines, and other systems to make as much food for as little as possible.

(Watch Food Inc. if you want to see this in action.)

The supermarket was invented to become a distribution center for the consumer that would stock many products from around the world. Without modern food preservation and logistic improvements, supermarkets wouldn’t be able to exist. (And that’d be better, I say.)

When you buy locally, you buy from small fruit stands and farmer’s markets. Your food is fresh and seasonal. It is not shipped halfway around the world.

Nor is it preserved and vacuum packaged or frozen. It is better for your health and results, the environment, and the local community.

You could spend an extra buck. Many times, you’ll pay the same.

It’s time to support local and small family farms. It’s time to buy food from farmer’s markets and produces stands. It’s time to contribute to the “Slow Food” movement that has the potential to change the food industry for good.

Colin Stuckert,

Founder/CEO, Wild Foods