Talking to my uncle about his farm made me question the whole 'local food' thing

I was visiting family in Nebraska last weekend and my uncle, who runs a corn and soybean farm, asked why I always buy local. I told him it cuts down on shipping pollution. He pointed out his irrigation pumps run on diesel and his fertilizer comes from a factory 800 miles away. He said sometimes a big, efficient operation far away can actually be cleaner. It hit different because he's the one doing the work, not just talking about it. So, is local always better, or are we missing the bigger picture on farm emissions?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyt2320d ago

My neighbor's local dairy uses way more water than the big one downstate.

the_kim21d ago

Consider the whole supply chain too.

adam_anderson62d ago

Good point about the supply chain. @kellyt23, does that local dairy grow all its own feed or ship it in? That transport adds up.