Following the advice of experts, a growing number of health-conscious shoppers are choosing local food, purchasing produce cultivated on nearby farms for the superior freshness and the resulting benefit to the regional economy. Food writer Andrew Veinot not only urges shoppers to seek out produce grown close to home, but also to verify that it has been cultivated without harmful chemicals. Veinot adds that this consideration is rarely applicable in Canada owing to stringent federal regulations.

Large-scale farming generates the overwhelming majority of the food stocked in our grocery stores. Most of the tomatoes, lettuce, and apples displayed on the shelves are produced in this manner. "If we depended exclusively on local farms, we would not enjoy so much choice in winter," says Maria Cordova, who shops for her family three times a week. "Food from large farms is more reasonably priced than local produce and is readily available at the store throughout the year."