by Helena Whyte

Created on: July 23, 2009   Last Updated: July 24, 2009

There are more positive benefits to buying from local growers than taste. There are no transportation costs and no CO2 (carbon dioxide) or carbon footprint emissions when produce is purchased from local growers. Purchasing from local growers also saves on packaging. That excess packaging doesn't end up in the landfill.

Local growers will be harvesting crops which thrive in the local climate. Local growers can allow crops to ripen on the vine or tree rather than picking them before they fully mature to allow them to reach their destination looking ripe. Massive farm production in a distant place quickly robs the soil of nutrients so that yields rapidly diminish over time until the ground is spent. These large commercial farmers do not make much from the endeavor while they rape the land. The shippers, packagers, and grocers make money from these large commercial endeavors.

Crops must be refrigerated and gassed in transit so they look ripe when they arrive at the grocer countries or states away from where they were picked. Large commercial growers may knowingly or inadvertently alter the habitat resulting in the extinction of species of plants, insects, or animals. An outside high yield crop may wipe out a native species. Many areas in Florida are trying to eradicate a pine tree native to Australia that thrives in the Everglades but has replaced native species. The Carolinas are struggling to find a way to control the non-native kudzu vine.

But to be truly environmentally beneficial, local growers need to be organic farmers. Organic farmers do not use pesticides or commercial fertilizers. So, local wildlife and water also benefit when a local grower is an organic farmer. Wildlife is not exposed to chemicals. Water is not contaminated by nitrogen from fertilizer or herbicides or pesticides. By not using herbicides or pesticides, the organic farmer does not contribute to the development of weeds resistant to killing by any means besides pulling and burning or the development of insects impervious to chemicals.

Organic farmers provide habitat for local wildlife and use beneficial insects to kill crop pests. If the native pests no longer have their favorite food available, they will prey on other insects or plant life to survive. Many pine and pinon forests in the Western US survive massive forest fires only to succumb to moths or other boring insects whose food of choice was eradicated in the fire. Organic farming keeps nature in balance and does not give an unfair advantage to any species.

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