Why Go Organic? Part 5 - Support Local Farmers!

You probably feel good about your purchase when you go to your local farmer's market to get organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables. It's a nice feeling to know that the foods you are eating are as nutritious as possible, but there's another reason why you can get a great deal of satisfaction from your pledge to go organic. Whenever you go to your local outlet to buy produce, did you know that you are supporting your local farmers as well as the environment? Fresher food and a cleaner planet are just two of the reasons for you and your family to enjoy only organic foods.

Organic farming is usually a family affair, with all family members pitching in to help run the business. There are far fewer family farms in the United States than there were back in the day when such a thing was usual instead of unusual. But now, with the added demand for organic foods by savvy consumers, the number of organic farms to produce these foods and farmer's markets as an outlet to distribute fresh produce has grown by leaps and bounds. There are also roadside stands in some areas as well as shopping co-ops and even your local grocery store. Organic farmers sell the different foods that they raise in all of these places, and are finding that business is booming.

This kind of support tells the farmers that they are on the right track, and gives them an added incentive to make sure that the produce, eggs, beef, pork, poultry, cheeses and honey are of the finest quality. It helps these farmers to be able to stay in business, and can help to keep rural communities from slowly drifting into the city limits. Sustainable organic farming will insure that the family owned and operated farm that produced those tomatoes you enjoyed on your salad can continue to raise and sell organic products for years to come.

Local farmers also help to keep your area's economy on an even keel, as your food dollars stay in the area instead of into the coffers of some huge conglomerate. If your local farmer's market is a growers-only market, then you are getting the freshest foods that money can buy. You are buying your food directly from the farmers that grew it. These farmers decide on the prices that you pay, and generally they are less than what you would pay for organic foods in a grocery store.

You can be assured that these items, the most popular of all organic foods sold in the United States, are truly organic, as these farmers must follow certain rules and regulations in order to be able to claim that their products are organic. And remember - 'natural' foods are not the same as organic foods! The best organic food of all is that grown closest to where you live. You are helping both the farmer and the environment when you cut out the middleman and buy straight from the source!