11 Reasons For Locally Grown Food

1. Spiritual: Rhythm of nature and natural growth processes.
2. Resources: Immense savings in the energy cost of transporting food.
3. Personal Control: Control of contaminants on the produce and the knowledge that the home-grown food is chemically free.
4. Environmental: Reduced use of factory farm or other harmful growing practices in the production of the community's food. This is the surest way to know that heavy land fertility and environmental costs are not occurring due to the eating habits.
5. Labor Practices: Better control of labor practices at all stages of food production and preparation. Consider the exploitation of migrant farm workers, who are often forced to work without adequate protection against agricultural poisons and without rudimentary sanitation in their living quarters.
6. Aesthetics: Beautify the countryside and make it a better place to live for all residents.
7. Eco-justice: Make a powerful political statement of social justice as well as eco-justice through action.
8. Health: Obvious health benefits for older people who get outside exercise and fresh air when growing food. A sense of well-being and control over one's life comes from self-sustenance and the resulting improved health.
9. Home-savings: Economic benefits resulting in growing one's own nutritious foods and sharing these with others in the vicinity.
10. Psychological: In growing our own food we begin to have a sense of taking control over our own lives and gaining in self respect.
11. Model: We show others in the local area what they likewise can do to become self-sustaining in their own lives.