Why buy local food?

The facts are local food really is better, better quality, fresher, fewer contaminates, more vitamins and minerals and lest we forget taste better. Not to mention supporting your local community and require significantly less fossil fuel.

And as the growing season starts and gets into full swing, we think about how Coal Run Craft can add more locally grown foods to our menu. By doing so you are supporting the many benefits of locally grown food.

Additionally,

  • Local food has more nutrients. Buying local food has a shorter time between the harvest and your table. And it is less likely that the nutrient value has decreased. Food imported from far-away states and countries is often older, has traveled and sits in distribution centers before it gets to your store.
  • There are less contaminants in local foods, thus promote a safer food supply. The more steps there are between you and your food’s source the more chances there are for contamination. Food grown in distant locations has the potential for food safety issues during harvesting, washing, shipping and distribution.
  • Local food supports the local economy. The money that is spent with local farmers and growers all stays close to home and is reinvested with businesses and services in your community.
  • Locally grown food is full of flavor. When grown locally, the crops are picked at their peak of ripeness versus being harvested early to be shipped and distributed to your local retail store. Many times, produce at local markets has been picked within 24 hours of your purchase.
  • Eating local food is eating seasonally. We all wish Strawberries were grown year round in Pennsylvania. The best time to eat them is when they can be purchased directly from a local grower. They are full of flavor and taste better than the ones available in the winter that have traveled thousands of miles and picked before they were ripe.
  • Local food benefits the environment. By purchasing locally, the amount of fossil fuel usage is dramatically reduced. And, locally grown food helps maintain farmland and green or open space in your community.
  • Local growers can tell you how the food was grown. You can ask what practices they use to raise and harvest the crops. When you know where your food comes from and who grew it, you know a lot more about that food.