- Stephanie Lewis

Going "green" seems to be "in" nowadays-but even well-meaning people are not sure how they can contribute to this positive movement. It can be as easy as going local, or buying produce, meats, flowers, dried and canned goods, and other products that are locally grown or produced. One of the main principles of the green ideology is to think globally, and act locally.  Doing so benefits the environment, the consumer, and the local economy. 

Buying locally helps to lessen carbon footprints, or the detrimental gas emissions (measured in carbon dioxide units) human activity imposes on our environment. Many of the produce items one might buy at the conventional grocery store can be found at local farmers' markets, and at a much reduced  cost to the environment. Not only will the foods have traveled a smaller distance, thereby minimizing the amount of oil and gas needed for transport, but much of the waste normally produced in the packaging and preservation of grocery store foods is not an issue.

Buying locally at a farmers' market benefits the consumer as well: very little time passes between the picking and selling of the produce-much of it is picked the same morning as the day of the market! Rather than being picked early and then maturing in the back of a truck,  market produce is picked and sold in its prime. This preserves its freshness, flavor and valuable nutrients so that market-goers may actually enjoy more nutritious, healthful foods than do people who purchase similar items at a grocery store.

Stephanie's complete article features Arlington's five farmers' market.  Read it on the MEF web page.