One the questions I hear most frequently is, “How do I know I am buying a locally grown product?” As customers become aware of the environmental, economic and social value of buying food produced near their homes, they want to know how to get their hands on it. Here are just a few tips to help the consumer bring the freshness and quality of local fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat products into their lives.

1) Buy directly from a farmer — There are plenty of farms in Anderson that offer direct marketing of their product. Look for on-farm stores, “U-pick” operations, or strike up a one-on-one relationship with a farmer.

2) Shop at a farmer’s market, produce stand or a locally owned store — This is more than a shameless plug for the Anderson County Farmer’s Market. Although the best guarantee of finding local is at a farmer’s market (Anderson County Farmer’s Market requires that all products be grown within the borders of the county, with a few exceptions for growers just over the line in our neighboring counties), there are other wonderful outlets as well. Not only do we have several wonderful farmer’s markets (see locations and schedules below), we also have some really great privately owned stores and stands that offer the bounty of the county. If you do a little research you can find one that is convenient for you.

3) Check your product’s identification — There are several great marketing programs designed to help the consumer identify local produce. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has the Certified South Carolina Grown program. Anderson County will also be launching a program to label our local produce. Take a look for these logos, labels, and symbols that will help you identify the best products.

4) Ask questions about your purchases — Don’t be afraid to ask where your food was harvested. If the person selling it doesn’t know, I suggest you look back at rules No. 1 and 2.

Happy shopping and (more importantly) eating!