Since 1992, the United States has developed more than one million acres of high-quality farmland each year. To halt the ongoing loss of farmland, advocates and public officials have come together to protect farmland from development.

With more available farmland, eating fresh, locally grown food has become a great option. In fact, the local food movement has surged into the mainstream in recent years.

There are many reasons to eat locally grown foods, including:

• Enjoying better tasting food
• Investing in the local economy and protecting farmland from development
• Ensuring America's food security
• Reducing energy use, mitigatinig oil shortages and cutting greenhouse gas emissions
• Establishing a connection with the person who grew the food

When consumers buy from a local farmer, they preserve their connection to the land and the natural systems that sustain us.

Read more about the issues driving the Local Farms and Food movement:

• Farmers Get Creative About Growing Local
  Farmers are employing innovative ways to reach local markets, ranging from CSAs to setting up farmers' markets at local hospitals
• Without Local Farmland, It’s not Local Food
  Protecting the nation’s farms is the first step to ensuring a long-term source for fresh and high-quality food
• Be a Part of the Local Food Movement
  The New York Times "goes local" with a Web portal that provides an archive of local food stories and a comprensive list of Web sites that will connect you with the local food movement
• Can Farm-to-School Programs Make the Grade?
  Efforts to link farms with public schools are thriving, bringing new business to farmers and providing healthy alternatives for students
• In Search of New Markets
  The success of the local farm will be determined, in part, by how successful farmers are in finding new markets to sell their food
• The Greening of Chicago
  In this Chicago Tribune story, learn how the city's Farmers' Market Project is working collaboratively to create neighborhood markets all over the city
• Eat Locally, Ease Climate Change Globally
  A Washington Post editorial argues that buying local food reduces your carbon footprint
• Food Policy Starts Next Door
  The Seattle Post-Intelligencer makes the case for buying food from nearby farm
• School Rules: Farmers Face Supply Side Isssues
  Farmers discuss the opportunities and challenges of supplying fruits and vegetables to local school systems
• When a Farm Becomes a Classroom
  Sometimes the best way to discover the value of farming is a trip into the fields and a taste of a beet pulled fresh from the earth