The Ten Dollar Solution

Posted by Harrison's Fresh + Local on 11/29, 2011 at 03:17 PM

“A typical carrot travels 1,858 miles to reach your plate. How much money, time and energy does it use during its journey from seed to table and through how many hands does it pass? It’s almost impossible to calculate the real costs of food production, processing, packaging, shipping and storage, but there is another number that does make sense. If every household in Pennsylvania spent $10 a week on regionally produced food, $48 million dollars would stay in the local economy each week. That’s about $200 million every month, and nearly $2.5 billion per year. Spending money on local food not only sustains our economy, it provides us with greater nutrition, preserves family farms, generates job opportunities, and beautifies the rural and urban landscape. And don’t forget that locally grown foods are likely to be fresher, tastier and safer for you and your family.”

This sounds simple enough and it really should be simple to support, as well. According to the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the average cost for a moderate meal plan for a family of four in the United States is $771.10/month. This averages out to about $25/day. $10 per month would represent less than 1% of a families overall food budget. Isn’t that the least we can do to invest in better tasting, more nutritious food while supporting our local economy and the farms that have been the foundation of our region?

Our friends at Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local do important work every day in promoting local food, farms and people. As stated on their website, when you buy local food, you vote with your food dollar. We encourage you to visit their website to learn more about the mission and to better understand the many good reasons to buy locally grown food! Please join us in Buy Fresh Buy Local and be part of the meaningful Ten Dollar Solution.

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