Beyond the Money
Within the agriculture industry in NH, the horticulture sector offers us priceless benefits. In New Hampshire we are fortunate to have beautiful scenic views and an abundance of arable land. Will it always be this way?
Think about this: In most super markets, the produce must travel on average, 1500 miles from farm to store. Trucking food uses high amounts of non-renewable fossil fuels resulting in more acid rain and other pollutants.
Also of relevance is the lost social relationship between the farmer and consumer. Unfortunately this sets the stage for future consumers, our children, to not value any sort of relationship with their food producers. One cannot go on without the other, yet as our food sources extend farther and farther away, we set the stage for a risky scenario in the future.
A partnership between our local farmers and consumers promotes a better future for all of us. Here are several more reasons above and beyond the money to support local agriculture:
- Produce has better taste as the sugars haven’t turned to starches yet.
- Better nutrient availability when food is fresh.
- Greater numbers of varieties can be grown, as compared to produce that must travel long distances and consequently are chosen only for how well it ships and shelf life. Notably, offering greater variation encourages maintenance of seed strains, including heirloom varieties.
- Purchasing locally supports local farms and in turn they funnel money back into your community.
- Local farms preserve picturesque open space for all to enjoy and as important, provide habitats for many wildlife populations that are experiencing the crunch of development.
- Having farms in your community provides food security for consumers in a time of changing political and environmental climates. There are many more reasons, can you think of any?
What would it look like in NH if all the farms were gone?
