Two women are shopping for vegetables in the market. The screen splits into two halves: the right shows women purchasing vegetables, while the left introduces the video topic "Local Food Systems."
A grocery cart filled with household items is seen in a supermarket, rolling through aisles of well-stocked shelves.
While grocery shopping, have you ever thought about who was involved in getting that vast quantity of food to your local grocery store?
A farm scene with trees.
How the local food you eat gets from the farm to your dinner table is a part of a food system.
Different types of vegetables are displayed in a basket. A gourd plant is visible.
A food system may be local or global, depending on where the food began and how far it has traveled.
An elderly man and woman select items from a grocery store display window.
There are many steps between the producer and the consumer. By knowing how a food cycle works, we can then start to see how global and local food systems work.
Crop harvesting activity is underway.
A food system begins with producers who grow and harvest crops and animals.
Tomatoes are arranged in a basket.
After harvest, raw products may be consumed with very little processing.
Various fruits like apples and pears are displayed in a grocery store. Apples being processed in a facility.
For example, an apple purchased in the produce department has had just a few processing steps: grading, sorting, and washing.
A person opens a packet of frozen apple pie.
The apples in a packaged frozen pie have been through much more processing.
Processed food boxes showcased in a superstore.
After processing, distributors move the food to the point of sale where it is displayed and sold.
Display of fruit pies.
Retail marketing is the step in the food cycle where stores display and sell products.
A fruit pie is placed on a tray. Unused packaging is thrown into a garbage bin.
Next, consumers purchase and use the products, and finally unused portions and packaging are discarded as waste.
Lentils and grains on display in a grocery store.
A local food system is the production of food that is consumed close to its point of origin.
People selecting vegetables from a store display.
A local food system allows consumers a more personal connection to the food source.
People pick vegetables on a farm.
Consumers who purchase their food through a local food system know more about how the food is grown and who is producing it.
The screen splits: the right side shows a store with various vegetables, and the left lists the benefits of Local Food Systems as read by the narrator.
The motivation for creating and supporting local food systems can include healthier and fresher food, environmental benefits, and both economic and community benefits.
A man working on a local farm.
The goal of a local food system is to connect food producers and food consumers in the same geographic area to assure a consistent food supply.
People purchasing vegetables from a local food store.
There are many ways that local food supplies can reach consumers.
Gourds and apple trees on a local farm.
Traditional local food supply methods include farmers markets and “pick-your-own” orchards and vegetable farms.
Images showing landing pages of websites connecting local farms to consumers.
There are also online farmers markets as well as web sites that connect consumers and local food growers year-round.
Display of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Restaurants or chain store markets can also participate in the local food scene by purchasing and selling locally grown products.
People in a community garden.
Community gardens are also local food systems.
Images displaying community gardens in different geographical locations.
Community gardens are cultivated collectively by people from the community. These gardens are especially popular in urban areas and can be found in schoolyards, on rooftops in urban areas, and on empty lots of land.
Display of locally grown berries and apples.
Of course, there can be drawbacks to depending on a local food system for all of your food needs.
An urban area without farmland. The image transitions to a board reading "Farm Fresh. Locally Grown Vegetables and Fruits."
The local area may not have land available for growing crops, and small-scale producers may not have the capacity to provide large quantities at a low cost.
Out-of-season exotic foods like bananas and papayas are showcased.
Plus, out-of-season exotic foods may not be available locally.
Corn and other vegetables in a basket at a local farm market. Bottles of processed foods in a local store.
The next time you make a stop at your local farmers market or roadside stand, take time to visit with the producer about the foods they produce.
Locally produced potatoes and tomatoes displayed in a local store.
Ask them about the rewards and challenges they face while producing food locally.
Trees swaying in the wind on a local farm.
You can learn first-hand and up-close about your own local food system.
Cars parked outside a local farm market named "Fresh Produce."