Eating local food is the best way to eat for lots of reasons, according to the proponents of the “Local Food” or “Eating Local” movement known as “Locavores”. Local food, grown in the same geographical region as it is consumed, represents an alternative to the global food model, which often means food travels long distances before it reaches the consumer. Advocates say local food is fresher, healthier, packed with more nutrients, and tastes better because it spends less time in transit from farm to plate, and therefore loses fewer nutrients while it sits in distribution centers waiting to be shipped, and experiences less spoilage.
Advantages to Eating Local
According to supporters, some of the advantages of eating local include:
- Supports local farms
- Boosts the local economy by creating more local jobs at related businesses
- Conserves fuel and produces less greenhouse gases due to less travel to market
- Creates less waste during distribution, warehousing, and merchandising
- Food is fresher
- Offers new and better flavors
- Is good for the soil
- Attracts tourists
- Preserves open space
- Builds a more connected community
At Rafter W Ranch, we are committed to the restoration of the land, animals, and people. We want to live as sustainably as possible, and we enjoy feeding lots of families and helping make the earth healthier at the same time. We like to say that we grow soil, which then produces healthier animals and healthier food products for you.
Our meat and eggs come from healthy, happy cattle and chickens raised on sunshine and fresh air, and we are certified producers for the American Grassfed Association. This means you can rest assured that we feed our animals nothing but grass even in winter (supplemented with alfalfa, when necessary). We appreciate every purchase, and consider our customers as partners in our continuing work to restore the earth here at Rafter W Ranch. Every time you buy locally grown food, you help your local economy and help maintain farmland and green/open space in your local community. Local food is not just good for you, it’s also good for the environment.
Eating locally grown food means you are eating seasonally. We believe the best time to eat food is when it is fresh, and can be purchased directly from a local grower – preferably one who welcomes visitors and is happy to show you around the place if you ask to see how their operation is run.
If you are interested in purchasing locally pastured eggs and meat from us, please check out our store to see all our offerings. From soup (bones) to T-Bones, we proudly offer grass fed/finished, pasture raised products with no hormones, steroids, drugs, antibiotics, or animal by-products. If you would like to visit us in Simla, please contact us at (719) 541-1002 to arrange a visit.