Local Routes Program

10 Reasons to Buy Local Food

1. Locally Grown or Produced Food Tastes Better
   In a week long (or more) delay from harvest to dinner table, sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink and produce loses its vitality.
2. Local Produce is Better For You
   A recent study showed that fresh produce loses nutrients quickly.
3. Local Food Preserves Genetic Diversity
   Local farms grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of harvest, an array of eye-catching colors and the best flavors.
4. Local Food is GMO Free
   Small and local farms are less likely to use genetically engineered seeds.
5. Local Food Supports Local Farm Families
   Local farmers who sell direct to customers get full price for their food.
6. Local Food Builds Community
   When you buy direct from the farmer, you are re-establishing a time-honored connection between the eater and the grower.
7. Local Food Preserves Open Space
   When you buy locally grown food, you are doing something proactive about preserving the agricultural landscape.
8. Local Food Keeps Your Taxes in Check
   Farms contribute more in taxes than they require is services.
9. Local Food Supports a Clean Environment and Benefits Wildlife
   A well-managed family farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and clean water are valued and the perfect environment for many species of wildlife.
10. Local Food is About the Future
    By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow.

Facts About the Local Routes Program

• We are Fowler & Huntting Produce Company's number one buyer of locally grown produce.
• Many of the foods we use in large quantities in the dining units are grown or processed in Connecticut or the surrounding New England region including: fruits and vegetables (when in season), Omar coffee, Bigelow tea, Garelick Farms milk.
• Through our Local Routes program, the Department of Dining Services is increasing awareness of the importance of purchasing locally produced foods throughout the community.
• We have increased our merchandising efforts in the dining units so that the student body is aware of the locally grown foods we use. Whitney Sustainable, the only dining facility dedicated to serving locally grown foods.
• We are working with others in the UConn community to support sustainability on campus and to increase the likelihood that more of the products we purchase will be locally or organically grown. Whitney Dining facility will become the place to eat organic and sustainable foods on campus.

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