by Jessie Radies
Everyone has different reasons for buying at the farmers market, or going to a local bakery or meat shop.
Here are my top 10 reasons I buy local food, there are dozens of other reasons, but these are the 10 that resonate with me.
10 Benefits of a Local Food System
1 – Freshness
2 – Increased Flavour
3 – Diversity of products
4 – Increased Local Economic Impact
5 – Increased regional Food Security
6 – Shorter Supply Chain = less shipping
7 – You know the Environmental Standards of the producing county
8 – Community building opportunities around food and food culture
9 – Diverse ownership makes the industry competitive
10 – Local owners can be held accountable for business practices
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As the founder of Live Local Alberta, Jessie has a vision for Alberta as a diverse, vibrant and sustainable region. Live Local Alberta is dedicated to educating consumers on the benefit of shopping, eating and living locally and to giving small business owners strength in numbers. A self-proclaimed foodie, Jessie along with chef husband Darcy own The Blue Pear Restaurant in Edmonton. Jessie has held a variety of roles within the food chain including working in the restaurant industry for 25 years, some of which for multinational fast food companies. Jessie and Darcy have two children and live in Edmonton.
Several if not all of these are also good reasons to support the preservation in perpetuity of agricultural land within Edmonton, which is coming up next Frday, Oct. 26 at City Hall.
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