Thanksgiving is a time of celebrating the things in your life that you love and that bring you joy. It’s a time of reconnecting with family and friends and sharing a meal that brings everyone together at the dinner table. This year, while you’re celebrating those who are meaningful to you in your life, you can show love for your community as well by buying local food for your Thanksgiving dinner.
What are the benefits of buying local food? And why should you buy locally for Thanksgiving this year?
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of buying local food.
Quality
It’s no secret that food grown or raised locally is going to be fresher than food shipped in from outside the state or from another country. Freshness often equates to quality, so that means buying local food will likely result in higher-quality dishes. All good chefs know that the secret to being a good cook is to start with quality ingredients, and by buying local food, you will no doubt impress your guests with your culinary creations.
This is not to say that the only good food is local food—there are many imported foods that are delicious as well. But for many things, especially produce, meat and dairy, locally-produced options are usually going to get you the best bang for your buck in terms of quality and freshness.
Value
It is true that sometimes local food will cost more than some imported alternatives. And sometimes certain products just aren’t available locally, especially produce. But if you plan ahead to shop locally, you can select recipes that take advantage of what’s in season around you. If you value creating the best meal possible for your family and friends on Thanksgiving, then the value of the local food you buy might be worth a little extra cost.
Support the local economy
Buying local food supports local businesses, local farmers, local purveyors and the local economy in general. If you love your community, you can show it by making a point to buy local food. Would you rather save a buck or two and have the board of directors of a big meat producer overseas get richer, or would you rather help your local farmer be able to afford Christmas presents for their kids?
Eco-friendly
When you make a point to buy local food, you’re also helping cut down on the amount of energy used to get it to your table. You can make a statement that it’s not necessary to put all those trucks on the road or shipping containers on the ocean. If enough people make this same statement, we can make a serious impact toward reducing our collective carbon footprint on the Earth.
If you’re considering if you should buy locally for Thanksgiving this year, think of the benefits of buying local food before making up your mind. And when you want the best in local food, including produce and meat, visit Horner’s Midtown Market today.