Is collaborating with local farmers a reasonable alternative to the current options available?
The produce we consume goes through many stages prior to reaching the consumer body. From the farm to production facilities to markets, food, among other perishable resources, often travels large distances from the moment of its harvest to its final destination. The estimates for the exact mileage are lacking, with most news outlets reporting a shocking figure of 1,500 miles. According to ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture, “studies estimate that processed food in the United States travels over 1,300 miles, and fresh produce travels over 1,500 miles, before being consumed.” That distance is almost the same as the shortest driving distance between Dallas and NYC. Due to the nature of transportation used in the food cycle, the produce cost varies with changes to oil prices. Furthermore, the farmers who harvest the crops do not get much in return for their tedious labor. According to the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems, “just 14.5¢ of every dollar spent on food in 2021 went back to the farm; in 1975, it was 40¢.” There is a greater number of inconsistencies in the US and global food cycle than one can count. Princeton Farmers Market aims to support both the local farmers as well as the consumers, all the while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by exclusively collaborating with individuals and organizations centered less than 50 miles away from Princeton’s Campus.