It’s a new year, and the time is right for making big changes that will improve your life, health and wellbeing! Plenty of your friends and neighbors are sure to be starting exercise regimens, making therapy appointments and reading new books, but there’s an option for a New Year’s resolution that you might not have considered yet; shopping local!
Berks County, Pa., is a rich and beautiful region full of small businesses, locally grown produce and handmade products, making it a prime location for finding the things you want and need right within your own community. We recently chatted with Mary Shah, the Agriculture Program Manager for the Berks County Department of Agriculture, about shopping local in Berks County and her recommendations. Keep reading below to hear what she had to say!
Why Shop Local?
Shopping locally has many benefits for both you and your community. Bringing your business to small shops, farms and other organizations in your area helps to stimulate the local economy and create jobs, as well as reducing carbon emissions and giving you access to better quality food and products. For Shah, who has been getting most of her groceries locally in Berks County for about 20 years now, health was one of the big reasons she chose to make the shift.
“I initially switched from processed foods to a more whole foods-based diet due to health concerns, but the more research I did, the more I became attracted to buying food locally,” Shah said.
A big benefit to shopping locally for Shah is that she knows what she’s getting and where she’s getting it from. She can get to know the farmers and find out what they feed the animals.
She also found that it’s cheaper to buy food locally. While you may not see the cost savings initially when buying meat in bulk, eventually the price works out to be lower for her than if she were to buy meat more often from grocery stores.
Making the choice to shop local can certainly have its adjustment period, as with any lifestyle change, but for Shah, the perks are well worth it, and the same might be true for you!
Mary Shah’s Berks County Gems
As a longtime local shopper, Shah knows plenty of businesses throughout the Berks County area– some popular, some less well-known– and what each of them does best! Here are some of her favorite recommendations.
- Kutztown Renningers Market: With lots of local vendors, the Renningers Market is a great spot for produce and interesting products!
- Fairgrounds Farmers Market: A crowd favorite with Berks County residents, this farmers market is a great place to taste the best and freshest produce that the area has to offer.
- Gem Produce: This small self-serve produce stand is an ideal spot for fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in the warm summer months!
- Doe Run: Run by Chris and Sherry Beitler, Doe Run is a great spot for frozen, local beef.
- Echo Hill: Enjoy bulk foods, organic products and all of your dry goods needs at this charming country store!
- Birdsong Acres: This small business is an ideal place to pick up your eggs and milk.
- Prout’s Jollyview Farm: With a CSA that gives you access to regular packages of fresh fruits and vegetables and many community events besides, Prout’s Jollyview Farm is well worth a visit!
- Tanner’s Flock: Run by young Tanner Schuster, Tanner’s Flock is the perfect place to get your hands on some farm-fresh eggs.
The Grow Together Berks Directory
Making the shift towards shopping locally is a choice that’s bound to bring you endless benefits, but it can be tricky to get your bearings as you navigate the more complex web of smaller local businesses. That’s why the Grow Together Berks initiative put together a helpful directory! This invaluable resource allows you to search through local businesses, filtering for business types, products and even payment methods, making it easy for you to find nearby farms, CSAs, market and even one-man operations that can provide what you’re looking for! The directory currently covers over 250 local businesses with new ones being added all the time, so whether you’re just starting out on the journey of shopping local or you’re a veteran looking for a little something new, the Growing Together food map is just the tool you need.
This year, make the choice to do both yourself and your community a favor and start shopping locally! If you’re interested in learning more, you can read our blog for information on the latest happenings in Berks County.