ABSTRACT
In most areas of the United States, people tout the advantages of eating locally grown products. They want to support farmers in their communities and advance arguments that locally grown produce is fresher and uses less energy, thereby reducing releases of greenhouse gasses. Freshness often depends on the time frame between purchase and consumption of the fresh food item. The concern that food traveling long distances increases energy consumption is often unwarranted. More than 80 percent of the energy used in connection with the production of food occurs at the farm. With economies of scale and more favorable climatic conditions, less energy may be used at farms in other regions for the production of food products.
