It was just another Saturday morning at the farmers’ market — until my grandmother, Honey, started holding court in front of our booth. As I watched her chat with old friends about the grocery store that used to deliver to their homes — and how they helped families when money was tight — I realized she was doing something more important than selling bread. She was building community.

That same spirit showed up again months later when I heard Zach Ducheneaux speak about how his own family once relied on a local store’s kindness to get by. Two stories, generations apart, but the same truth: local food systems are built on care, compassion, and connection.

When we keep our food — and our dollars — close to home, we nourish more than our bodies. We strengthen our towns, restore our land, and remind each other what it means to belong.