Local Food
3 articles, from the basics to the full research. Each one answers first, then goes as deep as you want.
Read in order
- Do people who shop at farmers markets eat more fruit and vegetables? 6 min People who shop at farmers markets report eating more fruit and vegetables, but shoppers differ from non-shoppers. What surveys, price-incentive trials and reviews show, and where the evidence is thin.
- Does produce lose nutrients between harvest and your plate? 6 min Vitamin C fades after harvest, by very different amounts depending on the crop, while minerals and fiber hold. What storage studies show about time, temperature, ripeness and local versus shipped produce.
- Does joining a CSA change how you eat? 5 min A CSA share may raise adults' fruit and vegetable intake while the season lasts, but trials are few, children did not change and gains faded afterward. Evidence, costs and practical tips.
Put it into practice
- Shop Local
- Farmers markets If you use SNAP, ask whether the market matches it: a $2-for-$1 match raised produce intake in a 77-market trial.
- Farms & farm stands Pick-your-own puts the shortest possible time between field and plate.
- CSA farms Choose a share size you can finish, and ask what a typical week’s box holds.