Here are a few reasons why you should buy from local growers and farmers.

There's just something about purchasing produce from a nearby farm that makes me feel better about filling up my pantry. Buying locally gives me a connection to what I'm buying when I know exactly where my food came from and what the farm is like. If you're looking for a few excuses to visit a farmers market, check out this list of benefits below:

Buying Local Supports Farmers and Growers

Whether it's Palisade peaches off the side of the road or a Saturday afternoon at a farmers market, I feel good knowing that I'm helping Colorado-based farmers and growers. When you support local enterprise, you become an integral part of supporting the state's economy.

Locally-Grown Produce Can Be Less Expensive

For items that can be preserved, many farmers will allow you to buy in bulk, which, in turn, saves money in the long run. 

Buying Local Produce Reduces Food Contamination Risk

By cutting out the middlemen between farm to market, your chances of buying contaminated produce are much lower.

Transportation Emissions Are Lower

The less mileage put between a farm and your table means you are doing your part in helping reduce negative environmental impact.

Local Produce Tastes Better

Have you ever compared a store-bought tomato to a freshly-plucked tomato off the vine? If you haven't, you should, because they taste starkly different. Farmers wait until a fruit or vegetable is at its peak before harvesting and sending it off to market.