The "buy local" movement has taken huge strides lately in getting into the "popular culture", and good thing too! Rising oil prices, urban sprawl, and global warming all factor in to the equation of why we need a new system.  The system seen on most grocery shelves in our nation is not sustainable.  The carbon foot print is high, fair trade practices are rarely followed, and we hurt our small farmers by subsidizing with government handouts, a huge waist!  

 Rising oil prices are forcing us today to reevaluate our food systems.  Efficiency is a quality American's prize ourselves on.  Yet the current way in which we import food products into our country is anything but efficient.  Years ago it may have made sense, but the rate at which oil prices are rising with no forceable end in site demands that we look into a more efficient, more sustainable system.

Urban sprawl is destroying our nations natural habitats as well as our farmlands.   I currently live in Texas and am appalled and alarmed at the rate our farmlands are disappearing. Highways, shopping strips, and sprawled housing developments are replacing areas previously used for raising food, and livestock, not to mention trees and fiber. "Nationwide - More than 13.7 million acres of farmland in the U.S. were converted to non-farm use just between 1992 and 1997."www.cwac.net/landuse/index.html  

People that was 11 years ago, it is staggering to think what the current numbers are.

Global warming and carbon footprint  are huge concerns for any environmentally conscious  consumer.  Please if you would like to read more about the effects of imported produce on the environment follow this link about the thousands of miles garlic travels to get to your cupboard. ( http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/camiles/garlic.pdf  )  They can tell you better than me!

To learn more on what you can do to help out the environment, our economy and local farmers (our nations most basic small business owners.) Please look into such organizations as Balle, NRDC, Local Harvest, BuyLocal.net, and many more that can be found with a basic search of "Buy Local."  Thanks for your time.  Please feel free to post comments and ask questions.