Over at MSN, they write about the many benefits of eating locally, one of which is the eco-factor. By eating locally grown foods, transport of said produce is decreased, and therefore nasty greenhouse emissions are reduced.

Agricultural researchers state that “eating local capitalizes on our concern about the climate, the energy we use, and a disconnect that more and more people feel from the environment and where their food comes from.” and that “eating local usually means that your food comes from within 100 miles from where you live, but some define “local” as encompassing your region’s watershed, no matter the mileage”.

The other benefits listed for eating local are:

• taste- produce on average that has traveled less, is fresher
• healthier crops, due to less handling from travel and also more nutritious as some foods lose their nutrient value over time
• eating and buying local food keeps the money in your community, as much as 90 to 100%
• social, many folks want to reclaim a connection with rural life
• safety, as foreign or far way produce is more susceptible to accidental or intentional contamination and widespread outbreaks
• lower cost, many folks have compared prices from markets vs. the local big box and found surprising results, local on many items is cheaper
• earth-friendly, less transport equals less energy and oil use

Depending on where you live, it may not be feasible to eat local all year-round, as some produce is season dependent. But even if you go local 6 months out of the year, you will benefit from all of the above.

Want to know if there is a farmers market in your area? Go to localharvest.org and with a zip code entry, you will get a list of local farmers and other sustainably grown food vendors.

Here is reason number 8 to visit and patronize for local fair at farmers markets, they are fun, too!