Locally Grown Food

One of the niche markets that Danny Klinefelter alluded too when I heard him was the locally gown market.  In some circles, locally grown can imply organic, but it is really about giving consumers the opportunity to just know who they are buying from.  A local livestock producer we know has been very successful in selling his frozen meat at local farmer's markets.  It requires some effort on his part, but he says it is much more profitable than what he sends to market.  Locally grown means cutting out the middle men and transportation costs. 

Fruit and vegetable growers in our area do quite well with there stands and sometime bigger enterprises that seem to grow into agro-tourism businesses.  One of the bigger ones is Eckerts, headquartered in Belleville.  Orchard U Picks is a web site that includes a listing of many growers in our area including at least one of our customers.  Another example of locally grown products is the in the wine industry.  The Illinois Wine Growers has a listing of many local wineries.  Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky have an organization call Green B.E.A.N. that is dedicated to connecting producers with consumers.  Another local producer in the St. Louis area is Stuckmeyer Farms.  We also have a local dairy nearby, Marcoot Jersey Farm that is selling delicious home produced cheese.   

Probably a minor beef is that I have talked to local people who are driving up to 100 miles to buy produce and sell it at the local Farmer's Market.

Summer in Illinois always brings out the farmers who are selling their sweetcorn at local markets, along the road, or just in a vacant parking lot.  There is nothing like fresh Illinois sweetcorn.  You will not want to buy it in the store ever again.  I suppose that is the best thing about locally grown products.  They are field ripened and very fresh.  The freshness certainly enhances flavor. 

I think it would be difficult in our modern world to eat nothing but locally grown food.  Where would we get oranges and pineapple in the Midwest.  I do encourage the quest, and it is wholesome family fun to visit the farmer or the farmer's market.