Buy Local Campaign
As more consumers become aware of the environmental and human health risks associated with conventionally raised food, the market for organic and sustainably raised food grows by leaps and bounds. From concern about synthetic-fertilizer-induced dead zones in our waterways to disturbing links between known carcinogens found in pesticides and various neurological, sexual and reproductive, and immune system disorders, consumers are demanding clean, healthy food.
As the clamor for organic food grows, more consumers are looking to buy locally raised food from small and mid-sized family farms. Many of these farms are using sustainable practices beyond the USDA-certified standards, including: low tillage planting; crop rotation; diverse crop planting; composting; the use of cover crops to naturally fix nitrogen; giving the land a rest to recover nutrients; using beneficial pests; and other new and time-honored practices.
Knowing your local farmer has become a valued aspect of connecting with food, and with it brings relationship, accountability, and clear knowledge of how food is raised and who is raising it. Local food also brings with it the added value of freshness, which translates into tastier and more nutritious food. And consumers also appreciate that buying local means that the food doesn’t have to be transported for the average 1300 miles before reaching our plates, thus reducing the impact on global climate change. Buying local supports farmers who grow for taste, diversity, and healthfulness rather than for durability, transportability, and uniformity.
Seven Generations Ahead is working to make sure that if you want to buy food from a local farmer you can trust, that you’ll be able to connect with that farmer in many ways.
Since 2001, SGA has been connecting local, sustainable farms to consumers in the Chicago metropolitan area. SGA generates farm-to-consumer links via:
- establishing CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) hubs in area communities
- connecting area farmers’ markets to local, sustainable farms
- generating procurement relationships between local farms and area restaurants, cafes, schools, and food services
