How to Find Local Food Sources

Do you want to start eating more local food, but don’t know where to start? Finding local food doesn’t have to be hard. You’ll love feeding your family quality food that you know exactly where it came from.

We’ve lived in three states within the past two years, and after our most recent move I began again the process of finding quality local food sources.

It always takes some time investment, but the reward is completely worth it! There are so many reasons I love being able to stock up on quality meat, produce, and dairy from local farmers.

Why is Locally Sourced Food Important?

There are so many reasons that buying local is a good thing. However, most people have a few specific reasons they’re passionate about that drive them to buy from individuals in their community.

Local Food is Usually Healthier

Typically, locally sourced food means fresh food. As food ages (i.e. on its way around the world to your grocery store), it loses nutrients and quality. Farmers typically don’t have room or the ability to store things very long, so you know you’re getting the freshest food available.

Also, while you may not always be able to afford organic food at the grocery store, you can always talk to farmers about how their animals or produce is raised. Even if they’re not certified organic, many times small farmers don’t spray pesticides the same way major farms do. Their animals are often treated much better too which leads to healthier meat and dairy.

Support Your Community

Being a farmer is tough work, but we appreciate all they do to put food on our tables! However, they’re often not paid very much when they sell their products to major companies (even if the companies turn around and sell the food for high prices).

When you buy directly from a farmer, you’re supporting the individual in a way that big companies never can. Farmers are often extremely grateful for the people that buy directly from them. You’ll likely even develop relationships with the farmers in your community which is another huge bonus!

Save Money

On the surface, it doesn’t always seem like you’re saving money when you buy local. However, if you bought the same quality of items in the grocery store, it would cost so much more!

When you buy from a local farmer, you may also have some money-saving options. You can often buy in bulk, purchase things they have too much of, or even barter for the food! While I’ll never try to bargain down a farmer, I will often talk to them about ways I can save money and also help them out. You always want it to be a win-win situation for both you and them!

Availability of Hard-to-Find Foods

It’s so much fun to see what types of local foods are available from farmers that you may not see in the grocery store!

Raw milk is one of the most important foods for me to keep in my fridge, but in many states you’ll never see it in a grocery store. You may also find unusual types of produce that are a local speciality such as persimmons.

Amazing Taste

Food from local farmers almost always tastes significantly better than store-bought food! It’s much fresher and often raised with better practices. Even if you buy food at the grocery store that has the same labels that the local farmer could use, there’s no comparison to the flavor of the locally sourced food.

Finding farmers in your community doesn’t have to be complicated! If you take some time to talk to people and research, you’ll discover some amazing farms!

Talk to People in Your Community

This is often the best place to start! Let your friends and family know that you’re looking for local farmers and see if anyone has any suggestions. Some of my favorite sources of local food have come through word of mouth.

If you know anyone who tries to live a healthier, more natural life, make sure to talk to them! Likely they are getting some of their food locally, and you can easily make a connection with a farmer through them.

When you’re trying to buy something that has more legal restrictions, such as raw dairy, word of mouth is especially important. Many of these farmers won’t ever publicly advertise what they sell, so the only way to find out is through a mutual friend.

Visit Farmer’s Markets

If your area has any good farmer’s markets, be sure to check them out! You may become a regular customer there or make a connection with someone who you decide to buy from outside of the farmer’s market.

If you find a farm you enjoy buying from, you can always ask about other ways of getting their product. Many farms offer farm pickup and some may even drop off at a convenient spot in your community.

Bulk buying is another reason to connect with farmers outside of the farmer’s market. You may be able to get much better deals and stock your freezer full of quality food!

Research Online

Looking online can often have great results! Try searching for things such as “Grassfed beef in <city, state>” or “local produce in <city, state>”.

When you find a farm you may want to buy from, reach out to them and see if they have the products you’re looking for or anything similar. Asking about prices is also important since many times prices between farms vary widely.

There are also a number of websites designed to help you in your search for local food. Here are some of the most well-known.

Eat Wild – This is the most comprehensive list of grass-fed meat and dairy products in the United States! Check back often as new farms are being continually added.

Local Harvest – Here you can find family farms and farmer’s markets in your area as well as grocery stores and restaurants that offer local food.

USDA Local Food Directories – With thousands of listings across the US, this is a great website to search for local farms, farmer’s markets, and more!

Raw Milk Finder – While many farms aren’t comfortable publicly advertising if they sell raw milk, especially in states with more restrictions, there are a number of farms all across the US with raw dairy listed on this website.

You may also be able to find state-specific local food search websites. Try doing an internet search for “find local food in <state>”

Check Out Butcher Shops

Local butcher shops can also be a wonderful place to get meat raised in your area! I have found that their prices often tend to run a little higher than buying directly from a farm. Some people, however, still prefer the convenience of a local butcher shop.

Even if you can’t afford expensive meat, it’s always worth calling or stopping in to find out what prices are like. Especially if you’re looking for less desirable cuts such as bones, fat, or organs, the butcher shop may have great prices!

Keep an Eye Out for Signs

Many local farms and individuals advertise their products with a sign out by the road. Some people even use this as their only form of advertising! In these cases especially, you can often purchase great food at incredible prices!

Best Tips for Buying Local Food

Buy in Bulk

Shopping local isn’t like running to the grocery store! Buying in bulk makes eating local food so much easier for multiple reasons.

Save money – Farmer’s often love selling in bulk and will frequently give you a discount depending how much you buy. Purchasing whole animals is usually a much better deal than just buying specific cuts of meat. Even if you have to invest in a deep freezer, it will pay for itself so quickly!

Unpredictable availability – Most farms don’t have unlimited availability all year round, so it’s important to get what you think you’ll need now! Fresh produce is only available in season, so I like to stock up and store or preserve however much I can. Most farms butcher their animals in the fall, so the availability of meat tends to decrease after that.

Less time invested – It usually takes much more time to get your local food than running to the nearest grocery store. Often you need to set up a pickup time and make a trip out to the farm, and it’s better for you and the farmer if you don’t have to do this weekly.

Know Your Prices

Prices can vary widely between various farms and sources, so it’s important to know what’s a good deal. If you’re on a tight budget, you may also want to compare grocery store prices. This way you can wisely choose which foods to buy local and which to purchase at the grocery store.

Plan Meals to Eat in Season

If you want to buy local, it’s going to be much easier to go ahead and plan to eat in season. Know what’s available right now and plan your meals around it. While you may feel like you’re not getting a huge variety at certain times of the year, this is how people have eaten throughout history until recently.

Share with Friends

If you can find friends who also want to buy local to share with, it will make things a lot easier! If you don’t have lots of extra freezer space, maybe you can split a whole cow. Or if someone finds a great deal on 30 pounds of fresh fruit they can buy it and have others to share it with.

Pick-Your-Own

Often, picking your own produce is one of the best ways to save money on fresh fruits and vegetables! While it does take a lot more time, you’re using your own time instead of paying for someone else to pick for you. If you have kids, you can make this a fun activity that everyone will enjoy!

How to Find Local Food Sources – Conclusion

Even though finding local food takes some time commitment, it’s completely worth it. It can be a fun process of getting to know individuals in your community and learning how to feed your family the best food available!

Like me, you’ll probably find that the search for local food is never over. Over time you’ll hear of new farms or individuals and sometimes your favorite sources may no longer be available. But that’s okay!

Grocery stores were created for convenience, so anything else will probably be a little bit harder or more time consuming. However, the extra effort worth it for so many reasons!

Would you like to start eating more local food? What are the hardest parts about searching in your area and why is it worth it to you? Let me know in the comments!

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