Fresh, locally grown foods are important for a number of reasons. We encourage everyone to educate themselves
on where their food comes from. Only then can they choose food items that have a positive impact on their bodies,
their communities and their environment.
Buying locally & sustainably grown food is good for YOU.
Food tastes better and is more nutritious when it’s fresh. Foods grown using organic farming practices come to
your table with no harmful pesticides. And in these times, when obesity and diet related illnesses are on the rise,
replacing heavily processed foods with whole fresh produce is a great way to start towards a healthier lifestyle.
Buying locally & sustainably grown food is good for our COMMUNITY.
Keeping our local farmers and producers in business supports our local economy. Dollars spent close to home
tend to stay close to home. Our local producers understand our community and work to provide nutritious affordable
food for all our citizens. The more we feel connected to the people who produce what we eat, the better we
preserve our regional food heritage. Rural and urban—we’re all connected.
Buying locally & sustainably grown food is good for FARMERS.
The current national food system is dominated by very few large corporations which are forcing farmers to accept
lower prices, grow only “travel-tolerant” varieties, grow bigger, use more chemical inputs, or leave the farm
altogether. When farmers sell directly to their neighbors, fewer middlemen cut into their profits. Farmers can afford
to stay on their land producing an abundance and variety of food while being good stewards of the land.
Buying locally & sustainably grown food is good for the ENVIRONMENT.
Most of the food we eat travels an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to our table. By reducing the travel distance
our food takes, we save energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions that likely contribute to global warming. By
buying whole local foods, we also reduce packaging, further saving energy and resources. And sustainable farming
practices protect the quality of our water and soil, while preserving green space for healthy native habitats.
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Click the image at left for the Seasonal Availability of Wisconsin Produce (130k .pdf)
To request copies of the Farm Fresh Atlas of Southeastern Wisconsin or to volunteer to assist in Atlas distribution, please contact us.
The Farm Fresh Atlas of Southeastern Wisconsin is no longer accepting applications for participation in the 2010 atlas. If you would like information on how to be included in the atlas, please contact us.
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