Farmers Markets and Why They Are Better for Green Living...

Yesterday I took a trip to the Westborn Markets in Detroit. For those who don't know I moved to Detroit in February to take advantage of the bottoming housing market, and I haven't looked back sense. Cities like Detroit are perfect for what it is I'm trying to do to help this world out, but I digress.

So while I've been here I've been shopping int he organic sections of some of the larger stores, Meijer's in particular, until I could track down a notable farmers market to meet my needs. I can say that Westborn Markets does that, and then some, so I've decided today to tell you why Farmers markets are better for not only you, but the environment.

Starting with you, if you examine the way you eat, you'll probably notice that if your busy like I am, you tend to eat meals that are convenient. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but what most people give up when shopping for convenience is health, and they don't realize it. Foods filled with preservatives and chemicals not only tax your body, but they sent your immune system into overdrive trying to fight off what your body sees as a harmful invader its not designed to ingest. If you plan ahead, or become what i like to call "food conscious" you can fin a great deal of healthy foods to fill your need for convenience without sacrificing your health or your wallet.

This is where farmers markets come in. A farmers market is very much like a grocery store, only they tend to get their produce locally. I know what your thinking, Detroit's a city, but in fact, the metro area has a good smattering of farms right here! By getting the crops locally, your doing several things. 1) supporting the local economy as opposed to large chains, 2)cutting out the need for preservatives, ans it wont sit stored for any period of time, and 3)cutting down on the transport expense and effectively lowering the price.

Let's examine these closer. If you stimulate the local economy, you effectively giving back to your neighborhood. A lower economy undoubtedly means more desperation, which in turn means a higher crime rate. Not only does stimulating the local economy mean more jobs, it helps lower the crime, thus protecting you in the long run.

Cutting out the need for preservatives means an overall healthier lifestyle. Foods that don't contain preservatives digest better, and boost metabolism, leading to an overall decline in obesity in America. it also means a a decreased chance of getting sick, developing cancer, or contracting some foreign bacterial infection from imported foods.

Decreasing the need for extended transport not only ensures fresher food, but cuts down on pollution created by trucks traveling cross country, and in some cases, even planes burning crap loads of fuel.

So farmers markets are really a win, win, and win all the way around. You win because its cast effective and healthy, your neighborhood wins because its stimulating the economy and promoting community growth, and the planet wins because your cutting down on pollution and illness.