It's simple, really. When you buy locally produced items you: Our goal is to deliver locally grown fruits and vegetables within 24 hours of harvest. Produce picked at the height of freshness tastes better and is more nutritionally complete. As time passes after harvest, nutritional values decline – dramatically.   A community that produces its own food enables people to influence how their food is grown. In addition, it reduces reliance on far-off food producers and stabilizes our food supply, which is important at all times and especially during times of crisis.   Farmers who sell locally are not limited to the few varieties that are bred for long distance shipping, high yields, and shelf life. Often they raise and sell wonderful heirloom varieties that may be hard to find in supermarkets.                 By consuming locally produced foods, you reduce energy consumption and decrease your carbon footprint. Because locally produced foods do not require significant transportation or storage, both of which are very energy-intensive and pollute the air and water, you help the environment whenever you buy or eat locally.     The number of small farms in the United States has dramatically decreased in the last decade. Supporting local farmers helps to preserve an honest and worthy means of making a living. Local consumers can serve as a lifeline for local farmers because they create direct marketing opportunities where sellers can receive fair prices for their crops.                   Buying locally grown foods keeps money within the community. This contributes to the health of all sectors of the local economy and increases the local quality of life.   We provide member growers the means to help educate our community about the importance of sustainable agriculture.