Cheaper, fresher — just better for you?
things naturally. We get to choose to support unsustainable companies/farms or to buy products from sustainable companies/farms. What we all need to decide is what we want to leave behind for future generations. A place full of fish and bountiful vegetation or a land of waste and no seafood. The decision is yours.
Julia Walker says for generations past, growing their own produce or buying it from local markets was the norm. But so were mullets.
So is the fact that we now buy most of our produce from big supermarkets, which are shipping it from the other end of the country and even overseas a bad thing?
Depends on what you value. Depends whether you mind paying the added costs of transport. Then there’s the packaging you pay for. The intricate, ergonomic, fancy, air- tight, non- toxic packaging that probably costs more than what is in it.
Or would you rather get it from somewhere that’s local to you? Something that you know where it’s been? Something that is cheaper because you’re paying for the farmer himself to drive 20 minutes to the local market, instead of paying for some unknown to drive a truck 800km?
If you purchase it from the market you’ll also have the chance to talk to the producer/farmer and ask any questions you may have.
We are in a country where food is not scarce, impossible to grow or hard to come by. Many take this for granted, and food is often wasted in our households. We would appreciate our food more if we or someone we know has had to work for it. Not to mention how much fresher it would be.
Take lettuce, for example. When you buy lettuce from the supermarket, do you always have to dispose of the outside leaves because they just aren’t good enough to eat? They’re dirty and soggy, from sitting around for days, whether it be in a crate in the sun on the farms or in the trucks as they are transported. If they look like that, how can we be sure
bell- bottom jeans and they are safe?
Local farmers grow their produce for themselves as well as the people around them. They have to make it good enough for themselves, so obviously it’s going to be good enough for us too.
Purchasing from locals also supports the local economy. It creates more job opportunities, encouraging people to stay rather than leaving in search of work in other parts of the country. By helping the local economy we are helping ourselves.
A lot of large manufacturing orchards add preservatives, additives and growth hormones to their produce. How else do you think every apple, orange or tomato you’ve bought have all been the same size and colour? Some may see this as a downfall of local foods. The fact that their sizes are unreliable and unsuitable for certain arrangements, such as dinner parties or in restaurants. That may be true, but I believe that buying a bag of vegetables that turn out to be all different sizes and shades of a particular colour showcases its authenticity.
It’s more convenient to purchase produce from a local supermarket. If you’re in for the weekly shop, why not get it as well, when it’s sitting right in front of you? What if you can’t wait for the Saturday market and run the risk of it not being there? There’s also the fact that locally grown produce is guaranteed to be seasonal. Therefore, much of the produce cannot be purchased out of season like it can at a supermarket.
Opinions on local and non-local food come down to what you look for and value in your food. If you want to buy local food, buy local food. If you don’t, then don’t.