What Does Local Food Mean to Me? Building a Better Food System in Philadelphia

Eating locally grown and produced food is an investment in yourself and your community. But what does eating local actually mean, and why should it matter to you?

To me, the biggest difference between eating locally and not eating locally is knowing where your food comes from, who produced it, and how it was grown or made. At its heart, local food is about trust, relationships, and the connection between the people who produce our food and the people who eat it.

At Philly Foodworks, we believe that everyone should have access to fresh, locally produced food and the opportunity to support the farmers and small businesses that make our regional food system possible. Here's what eating local means to me, and how you can make it part of your everyday life.

Local Food Means Knowing Who Produces Your Food

When you know where your food comes from, you have the opportunity to build a relationship with the people who grow it. You can learn about their farming practices, understand their values, and make more informed decisions about what you feed yourself and your family.

I remember talking with John Glick (read the full interview), one of our flower farmers, and asking him why he chooses to grow flowers without synthetic chemicals. His response was simple: “It's my family who helps out on the farm, and we put those flowers on our dinner table. I'm not going to expose my family to harmful chemicals.”

We joked that, beyond certifications like organic, one of the most meaningful assurances is knowing the person behind the product. We list the production practices associated with every product we sell right on the product page, but there's something valuable about hearing directly from a farmer about why they do what they do.

I had a similar conversation with Dave, who raises the beef we sell at Philly Foodworks (read the full interview). Dave practices regenerative rotational grazing, raising his animals on pasture and supplementing their feed with forage and silage—fermented plant material, including grasses and crops he grows on the farm. He does not use growth hormones in raising his cattle, and he's deeply committed to producing food in a way that aligns with his values.

His response to the question of why he raises his animals this way was similar to John's: “If I wouldn't feed it to my family, why would I feed it to my customers?”

These conversations have shaped how I think about local food. Knowing your farmer means you have a way to learn about the people behind your food, ask questions, and decide which production practices matter most to you.

And, in my experience, food that is fresh, seasonal, and thoughtfully produced is often healthier and taste better, too.

Local Food Means Protecting the Land for Future Generations

Supporting local farmers isn't just about the food on your plate today. It's also about the long-term health of the land and the future of the people who depend on it.

Take Weavers Orchard, a fifth-generation orchard in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles from the Philly Foodworks warehouse. We sell their apples because we want our customers to have access to fruit grown by people who are deeply connected to the land.

I spoke with Ed (Read the full interview), who is preparing to transition the farm to his daughter and son-in-law. Ed uses Integrated Pest Management, an approach that combines monitoring, prevention, and targeted pest control to manage crop pests while reducing unnecessary pesticide use. His approach reflects an understanding that a farm's long-term success depends on maintaining a healthy agricultural ecosystem.

Ed knows that he can farm his land today in part because previous generations cared for it. He also knows that the decisions he makes now will affect whether the next generation can continue farming it. Practices that protect pollinators, soil health, and biodiversity can help preserve the land's productive capacity for decades to come.

When you buy local food from farmers who prioritize responsible growing practices, you have an opportunity to support those efforts. Buying local and knowing your producers makes it easier to understand how your food is grown and which farming practices your purchases support.

Local Food Means Investing in Your Local Economy

Where you spend your grocery dollars matters.

When you buy food through a national grocery chain, a large portion of that money leaves the region to pay distant suppliers, corporate owners, and other parts of the supply chain. When you buy from local farmers and independent food producers, more of that spending can support the people and businesses that make up your regional economy.

At Philly Foodworks, 90 cents of every dollar you spend with us stays in our community, which we define as a 150-mile radius. We're a locally based business that employs local people and works with regional farmers and food producers.

That means your grocery shopping can help support farm families, small food businesses, local jobs, and the infrastructure needed to keep regional food production viable.

A resilient local food economy also gives our region a stronger foundation for the future. When more farms and independent producers can sustain their businesses, we help preserve agricultural land, maintain a diversity of food producers, and build a food system that is less dependent on distant supply chains.

For me, that's one of the most compelling reasons to buy local: your everyday grocery purchases can help shape the kind of economy and community you want to live in.

How Can You Buy Local Food in Philadelphia Without Visiting Multiple Farms?

One of the biggest challenges with eating locally is convenience.

You might want to support local farmers, buy seasonal produce, or find locally made bread, dairy, meat, and other groceries. But shopping directly from multiple farms and small producers can mean coordinating different pickup times, driving to several locations, and trying to fit farmers' market hours into an already busy schedule.

You shouldn't have to choose between supporting your local food system and making grocery shopping manageable.

That's why we created Philly Foodworks, an online marketplace that makes it easier for people in Philadelphia and the surrounding region to shop for locally grown and produced food.

Instead of visiting several farms or farmers' markets, you can shop for a range of products from regional producers in one place. Every product on our online market lists its producer, so you can see who grew or made what you're buying and learn more about the people behind your food.

Here's how it works:

Shop online in one place. Browse a selection of locally grown produce and other food products from regional farmers and independent producers.
Know who produced your food. See the producer listed alongside each product, making it easier to understand where your groceries come from and choose the producers and practices you want to support.
Support multiple local businesses with one order. Rather than coordinating separate shopping trips to different farms and producers, you can shop across our online marketplace.
Get your groceries delivered. Our delivery service helps bring locally produced food to your door, making it easier to incorporate local shopping into your weekly routine.
Put your grocery dollars to work locally. Your purchases help support regional producers and a locally based business committed to strengthening the Philadelphia-area food system.

Philly Foodworks is designed to make local food more accessible and convenient. You don't need to own a car, spend your weekends visiting farms, or plan your entire schedule around farmers' market hours to make a meaningful effort to support local producers.

You can make that choice as part of your regular grocery shopping.

What Does Local Food Mean to Me?

Local food means knowing where your food comes from. It means having the opportunity to trust the people who produce it, understand their farming practices, and build relationships that connect our meals to the land and the people who care for it.

It means supporting farmers like John, Dave, and Ed—people who think about their families, their customers, and the generations that will follow them.

It means building a regional economy in which independent farmers and food producers can earn a living, preserve their land, and continue providing food for their communities.

And it means making those choices practical for everyday people. Through Philly Foodworks, we want to make it easier for Philadelphia-area residents to buy locally grown and produced food without sacrificing the convenience of online grocery shopping and home delivery.

Ultimately, eating local is about more than the distance food travels. It's about the relationships we build, the production practices we support, and the kind of food system we want to create.

Every grocery purchase is an opportunity to invest in that future.

Shop Philly Foodworks and discover locally grown and produced food from the farmers and makers who nourish our community.

-Dylan