How is McKinzie's Urban Farms different from the grocery store?

In ordering from us, you're able to customize what ingredients go into your products, where you have the option for most items to include organic or conventionally grown ingredients.  Also, you know that the food is prepared fresh and shipped as soon as it is made.*    

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Why buy locally?

There is a movement to buy more produce and products locally.  It reduces our carbon footprint as well as gives the customer an opportunity to develop a relationship with the local farmer.  This is great because you get to know where your food comes from, how it's grown and possibly pay less due to eliminating other factors in the process of the food being delivered to you.  I don't exclusively use local foods for ingredients, but I do try when it is possible.  For more information, check out the following site:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/04/10/top-10-best-and-worst-states-eat-local?cmpid=foodinc-fb



Environmentally sustainable

Local food systems rely upon a network of small, usually sustainably run, family farms (rather than large industrially run farms) as the source of farm products. Industrial farming negatively impacts the environment in myriad ways (e.g., by polluting the air, surface water, and groundwater, over-consuming fossil fuel and water resources, degrading soil quality, inducing erosion, and accelerating the loss of biodiversity).  Industrial agriculture also adversely affects the health of farm workers, degrades the socioeconomic fabric of surrounding communities, and impairs the health and quality of life of community residents.  Many small-scale, local farms attempt to ameliorate the environmental damage done via industrial farming by focusing on sustainable practices, such as minimized pesticide use, no-till agriculture and composting, minimized transport to consumers, and minimal to no packaging for their farm products. For more information, visit http://www.sustainabletable.org/254/local-regional-food-systems