Eating locally produced food is an essential way to help make positive change to the environment.  One of the most important benefits to locally grown food is that there is a reduced travel time from its source to the store to the plate, leading to a decreased amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.  Besides that, local business farmers generally use better farming practices instead of mass commercial farming techniques that can be harmful to the soil in order to preserve the sanctity of their land.  Local small farmers also tend to promote genetic diversity in their crops, which helps to reduce or eliminate the need for harmful pesticides.  Additionally, supporting small farming businesses is beneficial because the money spend on the produce goes directly back to the farmer to help him or her continue maintaining the land.

Bishop O'Dowd High School has a vegetable garden in its wildlife reserve.  It grows plants seasonally and uses sustainable practices such as drip irrigation to ensure that the environment is not compromised.  At my own home, I have an herb g arden that my family uses frequently in cooking and a lemon tree that is wonderful for homemade lemonade.  I would love to have more fruits and vegetables grown in my backyard to help further reduce carbon emissions that result from trips to the store or to the farmer's market.   

(http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsh … local.html)  This is a great list of reasons to buy locally grown food from the University of Vermont.

Good point (Ohio,USA)