Your grocery store may be crowded, but your local farm has plenty of room for you

At a time when grocery shopping may seem daunting, supporting your local farmers by buying directly from their farms, or shopping at farmers markets, can be less stressful. As a bonus, buying from sustainable farms during this challenging time is a way to support families that prioritize protecting our waterways through their business practices. 

Many farmers are still happy to have people come out to the farms. Check their websites or Facebook pages: These small farms may request that you order over the phone or online, then come pick it up. 

Here’s why this is important: Many of these small farms have lost business due to the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly due to restaurant closings. In addition, large-scale meat operations in North Carolina are one of the leading contributors to water pollution in the state. 

Many small family farmers throughout North Carolina are striving to provide healthy food while protecting their local communities and waterways. Buying from these farms now is a way to not only feed your family but to protect our fragile environment. This is a great time to buy a Community Supported Agriculture share; farms offer regular delivery of everything from produce, to dairy, to meat. 

Waterkeepers across North Carolina have compiled a map of farms in their watersheds that feed us without threatening our rivers, lakes, and streams. The inventory at these farms varies, but they all have one thing in common: They’re trying to do things the right way. We encourage you to buy from one of the farms on this map. And if you aren’t able to buy directly from a farmer, be sure to look for their products at farmers markets and grocery stores in your neighborhood, as many supply to local distributors.  

Find North Carolina sustainable farmers near you by searching the map above, and pledge to shop sustainably by signing the form below!

Feature image by Napocska/Shutterstock.com.