About the project: The Local Produce Link (LPL) is a project of the Healthy Eating Active Living Collaborative of the Health Education Council in Sacramento and is made possible by a grant from The California Nutrition Network. LPL was started in July, 2005 by Rainbow Vogt and Patrick Proctor. The goal of LPL is to connect schools with nearby farms, from which fresh fruits and vegetables can be bought. This connection creates direct marketing opportunities for California's organic and farmer's market growers. As the most agriculturally rich state in the nation, we want California's students to reap all of the benefits that farm fresh food has to offer. The benefits of eating food from local farms include: SUPPORT OUR FARMERS: Due to the amount of development taking place, we are quickly losing valuable farm land. Without land to grow, we can't grow food. Our local growers need our support so they can stay in business and keep their operation running. HEALTHY FOOD AND PEOPLE- Eating fresh, unprocessed foods is the best way to prevent the diseases faced by so many of us in today's world like obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. The closer this food is grown to you, the better! A short distance between farm and table means that more nutrients are preserved and fewer chemicals are used to keep the food looking and tasting fresh. Eating organic ensures that our food is free of the harmful chemicals used in non-organic farming practices. HEALTHY PLANET- Some foods travel hundreds of miles to reach you and each trip contributes to land, water, and air pollution. By eating food grown close by, you are doing a great service to the environment because less fuel and energy has to be used to get food to you. Organic farming is also good for the earth because it doesn't use petroleum-based chemicals harmful to human and environmental health.