Pope County Farmers Market

1. Locally grown food tastes better. Food grown in your community was picked within the past day or two.  It is fresh, crisp, sweet  and loaded with flavor.

2.  Local food supports local farm families.  Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food-which means farm families can afford to stay on the farm, doing the work they love.

3.  Local food supports community.  When you buy direct from the farmer, you are re-establishing a time honored connection between the eater and the grower. Knowing the farmer gives you insight into the seasons, the weather, and the miracle of raising food.  Relationships built on understanding and trust can thrive.

4.  Local food preserves open space.  As the value of direct-marketed fruits and vegetables increase, selling the family farm for development becomes less likely.  The landscape of our fields will survive only as long as our farms are financially viable.  When you buy local you ar being proactive about preserving the agricultural landscape.

5.  Celebrate the Seasons.  When you eat locally you have already chosen to eat seasonally as well.  Our farmers bring produce that grows well in its natural season for our region. This means you get the best fruits and vegetables at their peak of flavor. While we've lately grown accustomed to getting anything we want any time we want it, many are now rediscovering the satisfaction of eating in tune with the seasons. At the market you can be part of this movement.

6.  Local Produce is better for you.  Fresh produce loses nutrients quickly. Locally grown food, purchased soon after harvest, retains its nutrients.

7.  Know your Food.  You know you are getting fresh food at the market, but what if you have questions about how the vegetables were fertilized, how the chickens are treated while they lay their eggs, who picked the lettuce and what are their working conditions?  JUST ASK the farmers, we will be happy to discuss our products and our production methods with you.  We are justifiably proud of our efforts, and we take to heart our role as steward of the land.  If you have similar questions about the grocery store melons that were grown in Mexico or the greens grown....., well good luck.

8.  Local food is GMO-free.  Biotechnology companies have been trying to commercialize genetically modified fruits and vegetables, they currently license only large factory-style farms.  Local farmers DON"T have access to genetically modified seed, and most of them wouldn't use them if they could.  If you are opposed to eating bio-engineered food, you can rest assured that locally grown produce was bred the old-fashioned way, as nature intended.

9.  Local food supports a clean environment and benefits wildlife.  A well-managed farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and clean water are valued. Good stewards of the land grow cover crops to prevent erosion and replace nutrients used by their crops. In addition, the local farm is the perfect environment for many beloved species of wildlife.  We love our local beehives, they help to fertilize our crops as well as provide honey.

10.  Local food is about the future.  By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow, and that future generations will have access to nourishing, flavorful, and abundant food.  Sustain local farms by buying local food.