Buy local!

I'm sure you have all read those words somewhere at some point in your life. Most of us know that we should buy local, but I'm betting there aren't many of us that know why we should buy local.

There are quite a few reasons, all of them good ones. Let's start with buying local food.

Eating out:

When you choose to dine at a local restaurant, rather than a chain business, more money stays within your community. Every dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy.

Grocery shopping:

Instead of going to your nearest Piggly Wiggly, try shopping at your local farmers market, or even getting to know some of the farmers in your community and shopping directly from their gardens! Local produce is much fresher, and tastes loads better than store-bought produce for a couple of reasons. If you are browsing through produce at the farmers market, it is very likely that those peaches were picked just yesterday. Maybe even that morning. Farmers also work very hard for the crops that they harvest, so everything is handled with care. It is not being mass produced, which means more time can go into the seeding, growing, watering, and harvesting of their beautiful produce. It also doesn't have to travel so far to be sold, which means less dirty trucks, and less contaminated hands handling your food. Plus, you know exactly where it came from!

Not only does local food taste better, it's also seasonal. A practical reason why that is important is because when food is in season, it is more abundant and readily available, making the cost of said food lower for the buyer. A slightly deeper reason why this is important is that certain foods grow at certain times of the year (and in certain climates) for a reason. Your body actually needs different foods at different times of the year. Lots of fruits and vegetables in the summertime to keep us cool and hydrated in the heat, and foods like whole grains and dark leafy greens and things to be cooked to keep us warm in the cold winter months. Eating this way gives your body what it needs in the specific time and temperatures it's to stay healthy and strong.

Buying food from farmers markets also (obviously) supports local farmers. This gives them the ability and reason to keep their land undeveloped. Which means for green grass and less gray buildings making up the surface area of our Earth. Their way of living enhances biodiversity in our local ecosystems and keeps our soil rich and clean. Lucky for you, we have a wonderful local farmers market here in Tuscaloosa, in a beautiful space next to the river on Jack Warner Parkway. Stop by this Saturday morning any time between 7 a.m. -12 p.m. and grab some juicy, fresh, pure, local food. You won't regret it.

There are other ways to buy local as well, such as supporting local businesses. This can mean buying your coffee from local coffee shops instead of places like Starbucks, or supporting local artists by attending monthly art nights or events such as the Kentuck Arts Festival. Instead of going to the mall for a new outfit this weekend, try browsing through the wracks of one of our local thrift shops, where I always manage to find someone's old treasures. Not only does this help with over-production, it also gives to businesses that are doing good things. America's Thrift Store here in town supports Hannah's Homes and helps to rescue women and young girls out of abusive situations. Small and local businesses statistically donate twice as much per sales dollar to local non-profit events and organizations compared to large incorporations.

To sum it up, buying local benefits everyone. It creates jobs and opportunities for those around us, and also works to give our community the individuality and character that we all love so much.

Edelweiss, one of the many local coffee shops in town.

Adam's Antiques in historic downtown Northport

So, buy local. Because good things go around and come around when you do.