After the success of our Farmer’s Collective brunch at the beginning of the month, we wanted to acknowledge the wonderful Robert Mastronardi who joined us to showcase his delicious and fresh herbs, veggies and fruit! We believe working with local farmers is necessary for the success of any restaurant. No matter where you are in the world, using locally sourced ingredients (when you can) makes such a positive impact on your local community and environment! Read our four reasons why you should switch to buying local more often!
 
1.    Local food is fresher 
Of course, it is! Our island has a small footprint on this world. Being only 8 miles wide and 22 miles long, our local produce doesn’t have far to travel.  We 100% believe when food is picked in season and eaten at the peak of freshness, it retains the essential nutrients and the vitamins we need. Plus you can for sure taste the difference! We know the battle we have here in Cayman to get your hands on delicious produce when it is in season and it’s always in such high demand, so get it when you can!
 
2.    Know where your food comes from
It’s so vital for us as human beings to know where the items we put into our bodies comes from. Nowadays, kids don’t have the understanding of where the ‘yummy stuff’ that fill our fridges comes from. We believe having this knowledge from an early age can really help develop a healthy relationship with food. Understanding how vegetables and fruit are grown as well as how cows are raised, allows them to appreciate and respect the food rather than treating it as dispensable.
 
3.    It reduces environmental impact 
Supporting local businesses is ideal for the environment because they often have a smaller carbon footprint than larger companies. Family farmers tend to be really great stewards of the land – they respect and value fertile soil, clean water and the environment where the produce is created!
 
4.    Keeps the community unique and prosperous! 
“Local food builds community” – James Beard.
 Building relationships with the farmers who grow our food is essential to understanding the environment it is grown in. Growing and purchasing local produce can offer great lessons in agriculture especially when a large amount of our produce here is seasonal. So, next time you have some free time, visit your local Farmers Market or pass by the farms and really educate yourself and your family on what this beautiful island has to offer.