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Even in good years America's family farmers continue to shrink in number and with energy now making up one of the largest costs of farming as well as one of the largest costs consumers face each month and there seems to be very little interest in Washington, Democratic or Republican, to make positive changes.

Before I became a writer I spent 28 years in the trucking industry and throughout most of those 3 million miles I hauled food products with the current food distribution network never making sense to me. For years I hauled frozen Israeli corn from the seaport in Baltimore, Maryland to repackaging plants in Cincinnati, Ohio. And for those who may not know Cincinnati pretty much sits in the middle of a giant corn field.

Then my trailer would be reloaded at the opposite end of the same building with frozen corn placed in smaller packages so that I could haul it to New York City and Baltimore grocery warehouses. On a few occasions I had to wait for the very same corn I hauled in to be repackaged and loaded back onto my trailer.

Now there are some things that make slightly more sense. Take peanuts for example: With the exception of the Southeast, very few places in this country can grow peanuts so if you live in the Northeast or Northwest and want a peanut butter sandwich you're probably going to get it by truck. That said, I have hauled imported peanuts and imported peanut butter to Portsmith, Virginia, the peanut butter capitol of the world.

That's why it's a good thing to seek out local farmers and farmers' markets whenever possible. Not only will you help reduce America's dependence on imported energy and help support your local farmers but you'll also find local products to be safer, fresher and taste better than months old "fresh produce" at the big box grocery store.

I know you'll find it difficult to shop 100% local and while I try I can't always do so myself but the more locally grown food you eat the less fuel you'll be responsible for burning and the better off your area farmers will become.

By the way, I recently got 3 laying hens that I'm allowing to run throughout my fenced-in backyard and after eating fresh eggs laid this morning I may never eat a grocery store egg again.

-Billy

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