Feeding the economy with local produce

If each Virginia household spent $10 per week on locally grown produce for one year, $1.65 billion revenue would be generated for the state’s economy, according to Matt Benson. He was one of six experts who illustrated the advantages of buying locally grown produce at a Virginia Farm Bureau Federation news conference on Wednesday at Charlottesville’s Meade Park.

With the launch of its “Save the Food” campaign, the farm bureau hopes to make known not only the nutritional benefits of buying locally grown produce but the economic and personal benefits as well.

“We want to press upon the general public that buying local is important,” said Greg Hicks, communications director of the Farm Bureau.
According to Benson, a community viability specialist for the Virginia Cooperative Extension, that $1.65 billion is just the beginning of what buying local foods can do for an economy. Buying local has indirect benefits, such as generating job opportunities, improving rural and urban quality of life and helping to create sustainable farms and landscapes, Benson said.

He estimates that even if half of all Virginia households were to spend just $5 per week annually at local farmers’ markets that could still result in $400 million in state revenue.

“It shows the importance of buying fresh and local and what it can do to our economy,” Benson said. “In my opinion, $400 million is a good goal to have.”
Jonah Bowles, an agriculture risk management coordinator for the Farm Bureau, asked whether Virginians could afford the costs of importing cheap food.

“We may be approaching the tipping point where we’ve become so efficient at shipping in cheaper imported food that we risk pushing out more and more of our own farmers,” Bowles said.

In a free market, it is only natural for consumers to seek the lowest price. But in doing so, consumers may be facing other risks. He cited the e-coli scare that came from imported jalapenos from Mexico as one of those risks. Bowles also noted that while some farmers’ markets may be more expensive than grocery stores, he believes that consumers appreciate the quality and taste of locally grown produce and are willing to spend a little bit extra for it.
The benefits of buying local do not stop at the economy. While it’s well known that fruits and vegetables are low in calories, dietician Lynda Fanning explained some of the other benefits of eating locally grown foods. Local produce contains fewer preservatives and can be more nutrient-rich than produce bought in grocery stores.

According to Fanning, a board member of the Virginia Dietetic Association, eating more fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of acquiring a chronic disease. For example, lycopene, a phytochemical found in tomatoes, helps to greatly lower the risk of prostate cancer.
Phytochemicals are also known for enhancing the immune system, reducing genetic damage and acting as antioxidants, she said.
She stressed, however, that the health benefits of phytochemicals cannot be gained through a pill.
“You have to eat the food,” Fanning said. “You can’t take them out and put them in a bottle.”

For more information on the Farm Bureau campaign, visit saveourfood.org.