HOW SHOPPING LOCAL HELPS THE COMMUNITY
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There really is nothing better than waking up on a Saturday, after a busy week of work and errands, putting on a comfy outfit and getting in your car to venture to your local farmers market, ready to immerse yourself into everything that your local community has to offer. The scents and smells of freshly grown produce and locally baked goods fill your nose and the vibrant and colorful flowers and plants are just the thing that you need to brighten up your day. You walk through the tents and booths, tasting and sampling various foods and filling your bags with the amazing locally made goods. It’s a wonder to you why anyone would be going to a commercial grocery store to buy these items when it’s obvious that a farmers market has so much more to offer. And you’d be right. Shopping local is better and it helps the community in more ways than you’d think.
One reason that seems obvious why shopping locally is better than shopping at a commercial grocery store is that the money that you’re spending on goods will be more likely to stay in the community if you shop at a place like a farmers market. This is because locally owned businesses most likely bought items from another locally owned business, such as a farmer. Therefore, purchasing locally helps keep money inside the community and helps to support the growth of local businesses and also the tax base.
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One of the most prevalent and important problems in small communities in this day and age is the lack of jobs. There are only so many job opportunities that are available and many people often struggle finding ways to make extra money. Local businesses provide a solution to that issue too. When small businesses offer jobs to people who live within that community, it also causes people to have less of a commute to work which as a result, causes less air pollution and helps the environment a great deal. These jobs are heavily customer service based and most typically, the employees tend to be extremely friendly and helpful because they are your fellow community members.
So get out there! Grab a few reusable bags and walk to your nearest farmers market and enjoy all of the local goods that your community’s amazing local businesses have to offer!