BOISE -- Due to the growing concerns about nutrition and rising food costs, there's a growing movement across the country and right here in Idaho. It is called 'Farm to Fork'.
When you buy local, shipping costs are drastically reduced and that affects what you pay at the checkout, and local usually means fresh and that improves quality.
Let us look at the journey of one popular vegetable, corn, going from the farm to the fork.
Matt Wissel of Wissel Farms advice is if you want your corn so fresh you can eat it raw, you just need to ask.
It's a little bit of a challenge for the consumer at the store level to figure that out. I suggest they ask for Wissell Farms corn because that's all we plant is these new types of corn we call em the new high quality super sweets. Wissel says.
You cannot blame him for promoting his own product but the point is that you have more power than you might guess when it comes to what's stocked in your store's produce department.
Grocery chain Winco has noticed the increased demand for locally grown products. KTVB followed Wissell Farm corn from the field, to the Winco distribution center where it undergoes quality control tests before it is shipped out to stores.
It'll be in the store in some instances it's in the store this afternoon... Other instances it'll be in the store tomorrow morning. It's usually not more than 24 hours old when it gets to the retailer, said Wissel.
Winco Vice President Michael Read says, It seems to be a real trend and I think we're going to see more of that as time goes on.
Read also says getting fresh local products into stores is a win-win situation.
We think it gives us a little bit of an edge with the consumer it helps us meet what they expect and it's good for the local grower and its good for us, Read says.
One customer said it matters to him to buy local, I'd rather buy local than put the money in somebody elses pocket outside the area.
Another customer added, Plus you know where it's come from too.
The agriculture department's Idaho Preferred program has surveyed people like the couple we interviewed, and the responses reveal a lot of awareness about the link between buying local and Idaho's economy.
Leah Clark with Idaho Preferred said, It's not because it tastes better, even though it does. And it's not because it's fresher, even though it obviously is but really they want to support the local economy and we see that throughout the economic downturn that we've had agriculture has been a bright spot and we want that to continue here in Idaho.
Idaho farmers grow about 40 edible crops, Clark says supporting Idaho's economy and eating well is easy to do.
