April
21
Why Dining at Local Restaurants Can Help Local Farmers Succeed
In an era where everything seems to be outsourced, the United States has one very important industry that needs to be supported, local agriculture. Even if you don’t run a grocery store or set up a food stand on the side of the road, there is still something very fun and important that consumers can do to keep fresh produce available to everyone- dine out!
Whether you eat out often or make it a special affair, when choosing where to go you may not realize that you could be making or breaking your local agriculture and farming community. Local restaurants that are run by residents need to be frequented by locals and their families to survive. An incentive? Independent restaurants are twice as likely to serve local, fresh produce over their corporate counterparts.
An easy way to discover which restaurants support local and which ones don’t is to do a quick glance of their menu. Good restaurants are not shy about supporting local farms. It is usually advertised on the first page of their menu or on their website’s homepage. However, if you can’t seem to find out before you visit a certain restaurant, the hostess is a good person to ask or a quick call to the establishment can help.
While the choice of your evening meal may seem like a small decision, it is a huge factor in supporting your local economy. It is also better for your health. Places that serve foods with a lower level of pesticides or organic, will have more vitamins and be more fiber dense. Locally farmed foods have a nutrition level that long-haul fruits and vegetables cannot match.
What about price though? This is the biggest stickler for those looking to make the switch to local. Local restaurants may be pricier, but the quality of food is much better. If you want to help the economy rebound, choose restaurants that make local farmers a priority. The long-term benefit is obvious, if you invest in a healthier meal, you will feel better and you will increase your local community’s industry boom.
All in all, no matter how often you dine out- whether once a month or everyday, do your best to choose where you frequent wisely. There is much more to a thriving local community than you may realize and it begins with your restaurant choices. Support local restaurants, chefs, farmers, and agriculture and support your hometown.
You don’t have to spend hours on the Web looking for information about Bagel Buffet.