With the rise of concerning environmental issues such as global warming, it makes sense to try looking at ways to cause less strain on the planet’s resources. You can even tweak the ways that you shop in order to support businesses that employ earth-friendly practices, such as using a market finder to look for nearby places to buy food from. Here’s why you should shop at local farmer’s markets instead:
Industrial Farming Is Causing a Lot of Harm
According to an article by Kimberly Snyder written for the Huffington Post, industrialized farming does a lot of harm to the environment. This is because industrial farms utilize monocultures, in which each field is meant to grow only one type of plant. This causes the soil to lose most of its nutrients, effectively making it less viable for planting fruits and vegetables in the long run. They’re also more likely to be overrun with pests, which means a lot of pesticides and other chemicals are used on them, too.
Local Family Farms are Better for the Environment
Because family farms tend to be smaller, they are easier to manage. Since they don’t need to use huge machinery in order to process their products, and won’t have to ship their fruits and vegetables using trucks from far distances, there is much less fossil fuel consumed, too. By buying from your local farmer’s market, you support the livelihood of local family farms, and you can get much healthier and fresher produce, too.
Go Local to Help Global Environmental Efforts
With a little extra effort, you’ll be able to save money, get better quality food, and help in the effort to save the Earth, too. Give your local farmer’s markets a try. You might just find your next favorite place to shop for weekly groceries.
