You spend a lot of money in grocery stores, restaurants and school cafeterias. In turn, that money pumps back into the local economy, flowing to farmers, processors, distributors, packers, truckers, tractor dealers and fertilizer suppliers. Agriculture is a multimillion-dollar industry and an important contributor to many other economic sectors in Central New York. Every dollar in agriculture is recycled more than three times in the local economy, a multiplier effect that is higher than most other business.
Farmers hire workers and contract with consultants.
Local food is also simply a better value for your money. Consumers who buy local are paying for freshness, not packaging and freight. Local direct markets offer unique varieties of vegetables and fruits that are bred for taste, not because they have tougher skins and ship well. And buying local food protects good farmland from development and preserves Central New York's scenic beauty. With tourism ranking as New York's second largest industry, local farms provide breathtaking scenery as well as the foods and wines of a regional cuisine.