We’ve compiled a list of six of the best reasons why you should be shopping and eating locally grown and produced healthy food. 

When you live in an area as bountiful as the Okanagan, it’s a good idea to take advantage of the fresh, seasonal fruit, veggies, and other healthy food that’s grown and produced right here at home. The benefits can range from supporting local farmers and growers to experiencing amazingly fresh produce. To help shed some light on all of the wonderful benefits that come with buying and eating locally, we’ve compiled a list of the most common reasons why this practice is a good one to adopt.

1. Experience the flavours of the Okanagan.

When you buy local produce from a local grocer, you’ll be given the opportunity to taste local farm produce that is as fresh and tasty as can be. This is because the goods don’t need to travel very far to get to the grocer’s shelf, and in most cases, the produce displayed was most likely picked just a few days before.

2. Learn to shop and eat seasonally.

When you shop at a local grocery store that offers fresh produce, the food that is in season is usually put on display. Practice preparing seasonal recipes using fruits and vegetables that haven’t spent most of their shelf life on a truck or waiting to be shipped in a warehouse. Use the seasonal produce to reconnect with nature and the cycling of seasons.

3. Support local farmers and keep the local economy strong.

When you purchase local goods, you’re ensuring that the money you spend in the Okanagan stays in the Okanagan. Not only does this help to create local jobs, it also ensures we continue to have access to some of the freshest goods in the country.

4. Do your part to protect the environment.

By choosing to purchase locally grown and produced healthy food, you’ll be preventing the need for food to be brought in from other countries. This reduces air pollution, climate change, and acid rain created by the carbon emissions from trucks and other transport vessels.

5. Redefine your grocery shopping experience.

Compare your shopping experience at an independent food market that features farm fresh goods to a trip to a big box grocery store. Instead of shopping in oversized warehouses with fluorescent lighting and big crowds, stroll through smaller local grocery stores instead. Take in the relaxed atmosphere, the beautiful displays, and the lack of lengthy line-ups.

6. Take comfort in knowing where your food comes from.

Oftentimes, grocery store produce bins are packed with fruits and veggies that come from all over the world. They’ve likely been gassed to reduce their ripening time and been coated in pesticides. When you buy local, you know your food has been grown within a small radius of the store, hasn’t been treated to extend its shelf life, and has been ethically grown.

If you’re ready to experience the freshest produce that the Okanagan has to offer, come and visit Mike’s Produce in Kelowna. We work with local growers and suppliers to make sure only the freshest items end up on our shelves.