BUY FRESH, BUY LOCALHad a good PEACH lately that wasn't laced with pesticides? How about a free-range egg? Or, well… you know… a free-range chicken? Actually, peaches happen to be one of the fruits with the most pesticides in them.
"There are many good reasons to buy locally grown food. YOU'LL GET EXCEPTIONAL TASTE AND FRESHNESS. Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste and freshness rather than for shipping and long shelf life.
"YOU'LL STRENGTHEN YOUR LOCAL ECONOMY. Buying local food keeps your dollars circulating in your community. Getting to know the farmers who grow your food builds relationships based on understanding and trust, the foundation of strong communities.
"YOU'LL SUPPORT ENDANGERED FAMILY FARMS. There's never been a more critical time to support your farming neighbors. With each local food purchase, you ensure that more of your money spent on food goes to the farmer.
"YOU'LL SAFEGUARD YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH. Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers who avoid or reduce their use of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seed in their operations. Buy food from local farmers you trust.
"YOU'LL PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT. LOCAL FOOD DOESN'T' HAVE TO TRAVEL FAR. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and packing materials. Buying local food also helps to make farming more profitable and selling farmland for development less attractive. When you buy local food, you vote with your food dollar. This ensures that family farms in your community will continue to thrive and that healthy, flavorful, plentiful food will be available for future generations."
Many local producers here in east central IOWA as well as others in western Illinois are part of the BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL campaign. The group creates a directory of local farmers markets. Also in the directory are individuals who supply produce which U-Pick like flowers and eggs from MISS EFFIE'S COUNTRY FLOWERS & GARDEN STUFF by Donahue, IOWA, here in Scott County.
Listed also are NOSTALGIA FARMS by Walcott, IOWA, that provides tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, chickens, and other items as well as "no hormones or routine antibiotics beef" from Sawyer Beef by Princeton, IOWA, both in Scott County.
So check out www.farmpaths.org to find a place close by so you can BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL. If you are not close to those areas mentioned, your county extension office may help you out. It's a good step to take.
Always remember to CPR: CONSERVE/PARTICIPATE/RECYCLE
Cindy
Sheehan Steps Into the Leadership Void 
