Food is an essential requirement for living

Food is an essential requirement for living. When it comes to food; nutritional value and taste are the main concerns of most people. But what about how the food was produced, who produces it and where it is being sold. These subjects usually do not factor into the average consumers grocery decisions. Given the current struggle of Canadas agricultural community it may be time to reconsider the choices one makes concerning the purchase of food. The convenience of shopping at supermarkets may have caused one to turn a blind ye to local farm markets. Shopping at farm markets is beneficial to both farmer and consumer. I n terms of organic farming the consumer know they are getting pure organically produced food. The farmer whom grow organic produce will be more likely to sell organic products ant a farm market because grocery stores do not stock a great deal of organic products. There is also a financial aspect. Shopping at farm markets keeps money in the community and! farmers get a larger share of the profit. Finally, there is the issue of pollution. Transporting food across the country involves large trucks that emit exhaust into the atmosphere. Many farm markets are close to the farms, which means little or no transportation of products. Ultimately, an increase in shopping at farm markets would benefit both consumer and farmer. The most obvious gains for a consumer shopping at a farm market are greater knowledge about the food being purchased. The chances of purchasing 100% organically grown food is much higher at a farm market where the patron has the opportunity to discuss the methods used to grow the food with the farmer. At a supermarket the consumer does not have such luxuries. In Canada, an estimated 55% of canola, 45% of corn and 25% of soybeans grown are genetically engineered. Now, genetically modified soy, canola, corn, potatoes, cotton and other crops are mixed rando