• Locally grown food generally has superior nutritional values.
• Poor diet has been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, food-borne illnesses, some kinds of cancer and other health conditions—and locally grown produce is part of a healthier diet.
• Local farmers don’t use enormous amounts of antibiotics used as growth promoters in the production of poultry, swine, beef and farmed fish.
• Local farmers don’t use millions of pounds of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides used annually in our commercial food supply.
• Environmental health issues, such as the presence of arsenic, hormones and antibiotics in local surface water, are a direct product of large commercial farms.

As a result, many healthcare facilities are making a conscious effort to purchase locally and/or organically grown foods. The move to locally grown food—with its higher nutritional content, freshness and improved taste—will soon be an essential part of America’s healthcare menu.