kdolu Local Farmers”. “Save the American Farmer”. “Shop Local”. These phrases and shirts are everywhere, but what exactly does it mean to support your local farmer? Should you only shop from Farmer’s Markets and local farm stores? If you can, GREAT! Buy local, buy things that are in season and all that jazz. But, depending on where you live or what item you are looking for, it might not be easy to hit up a Farmer’s Market. No worries! You can support your local farmers simply by shopping at the grocery store. People assume that big brands or generic brands don’t derive products or ingredients from local, family farms, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. For example, the milk produced on our dairy farm is shipped to a local creamery where it is bottled for Kemps and found in nearby stores. I have friends who produce milk that is processed into cheese for Jack’s Pizza and Taco Bell. The farm I grew up on makes milk that goes into Swiss Miss pudding. That butter for your bun at the local Texas Roadhouse? Also produced by local farmers.
Anytime you buy food, you are supporting your local farmers. So do it all; shop at the farmer’s market, visit a nearby farm store and get what you need at the grocery store.
