Locally grown produce and other food items not only ensure that your food is fresh, but also lets you know your product didn't need to travel across land and sea burning fuel to reach your dinner table. In the 27th Senate District, the organic farm industry is booming; encourage your local grocer to carry items grown close to home.
Buying produce from farmers close to home is a good way to contribute to your local agriculture economy. By buying locally grown and harvested fruits and vegetables, we put money back into our own communities and we help expand Wisconsin as an agriculture state. There are a couple easy ways to participate in buying local. One is to visit one of the many farmers markets that pop up around the district every summer. Farmers markets give the growers the opportunity to sell their products directly to the consumer with no middleman. Another easy way to buy local is to buy the produce directly from the farmers themselves. Many times farmers will have produce stands set up directly outside their farms, or you can find pickup trucks full of sweet corn right along the road.
Take the time to request a Wisconsin Local Food Marketing Guide, which can be found online at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's Web site, www.datcp.state.wi.us. The guide explains, step-by-step, how to move products from field to consumer. It covers selling directly to consumers via farmers markets, community supported agriculture, agri-tourism, on-farm stores, pick-your-own operations and roadside stands. It also explains selling produce through intermediate channels such as restaurants, grocery stores, institutions and distributors. In addition, the guide provides information on pricing products, licensing, labeling, regulations, food safety, food liability, and farm insurance, and lists resources to find additional information at the end of each chapter.
One of the best things about living in Wisconsin is our access to some of the best farm fresh foods in the nation. Wisconsin has more than 200 farmers markets. For more information, you can locate local markets, along with food producers, food events and farms online at www.SavorWisconsin.com. Another great resource online that provides a list of farmers' markets, farms, restaurants, stores and other businesses that sell local food and use sustainable production and business practices can be found at www.FarmFreshAtlas.org. So buy local, eat healthy, and support your local economy by stopping by your local market today.
For additional information, please contact my office at (608)266-6670 or e-mail sen.erpenbach@legis.wi.gov.
- Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, serves the 27th Senate District.
Buying produce from farmers close to home is a good way to contribute to your local agriculture economy. By buying locally grown and harvested fruits and vegetables, we put money back into our own communities and we help expand Wisconsin as an agriculture state. There are a couple easy ways to participate in buying local. One is to visit one of the many farmers markets that pop up around the district every summer. Farmers markets give the growers the opportunity to sell their products directly to the consumer with no middleman. Another easy way to buy local is to buy the produce directly from the farmers themselves. Many times farmers will have produce stands set up directly outside their farms, or you can find pickup trucks full of sweet corn right along the road.
Take the time to request a Wisconsin Local Food Marketing Guide, which can be found online at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's Web site, www.datcp.state.wi.us. The guide explains, step-by-step, how to move products from field to consumer. It covers selling directly to consumers via farmers markets, community supported agriculture, agri-tourism, on-farm stores, pick-your-own operations and roadside stands. It also explains selling produce through intermediate channels such as restaurants, grocery stores, institutions and distributors. In addition, the guide provides information on pricing products, licensing, labeling, regulations, food safety, food liability, and farm insurance, and lists resources to find additional information at the end of each chapter.
One of the best things about living in Wisconsin is our access to some of the best farm fresh foods in the nation. Wisconsin has more than 200 farmers markets. For more information, you can locate local markets, along with food producers, food events and farms online at www.SavorWisconsin.com. Another great resource online that provides a list of farmers' markets, farms, restaurants, stores and other businesses that sell local food and use sustainable production and business practices can be found at www.FarmFreshAtlas.org. So buy local, eat healthy, and support your local economy by stopping by your local market today.
For additional information, please contact my office at (608)266-6670 or e-mail sen.erpenbach@legis.wi.gov.
- Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, serves the 27th Senate District.
