Whole Foods promotes local buying

I found an article about Whole Foods promoting buying local. The article discusses that people should buy local to fend off bigger chains like Walmart and Kroger Foods. "the influence of top chefs, farmers markets, Michael Pollan's book 'The Omnivore's Dilemma,' and concerns about the environmental effects of shipping food long distances have raised shoppers' interest in buying local." It's easier for large chains like Walmart to sell the organic products at a cheaper price than a local farmer can. However, the article also goes on to say that fuel costs for shipping the items are down and freshness up when buying local. "The grocery chain (Whole Foods) has launched a program to loan $10 million annually to help independent local producers around the country expand. Whole Foods holds seminars around the country to teach producers how to get products onto shelves — and how to command premium prices by emphasizing their local roots."


Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070430/ap_on_bi_ge/whole_foods_buying_local_2