There are many benefits to eating locally grown foods, some more obvious than others, but we need to be alerted of these benefits so that we can better educate ourselves and the way that we eat. According to a 2013 Michigan State University study (http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/7_benefits … ocal_foods), there are many more ways than we think that eating local foods is better for us than eating foods produced further away. Along with supporting local growers and businesses and having a better general understanding of the way that the food you are eating was produced, there are many others ways that local foods are more beneficial to ourselves and our environment. Firstly, locally produced foods have higher quantities of nutrients, which ultimately means that they are healthier. This is due to the fact that when foods, specifically vegetables, are first picked, they contain the highest amount of nutrients. However, as they sit and age, they begin to lost these high-nutrient amount. The longer they sit, the more nutrients they lose. Therefore, the greater distance fo od has to travel to get to the consumer, this leads to a greater loss in nutrients, resulting in less nutritious foods. Local foods also provide safer food supplies because it lessens the possibility for safety issues, especially cleanliness, when food is traveling to the consumers. Lastly, local foods benefit the environment by both lowering carbon emissions in the transportation of products, but also by creating greater amounts of local green environments in our communities. All of these ways that prove local foods are more stable and overall better for us and our environment, are reasons we should promote and utilize our local food supply as opposed to processed and imported foods.