Topic > the body maintains its proper diet and function. The need to choose the most beneficial and nutritious food system cannot be emphasized enough. As a society, citizens of the United States face significant health challenges. In fact, the United States ranks ninth in life expectancy among nations in the developed world, largely due to the lack of adequate nutrition in the standard American diet (“ How Food Affects Health ?”). Therefore, the importance of locally produced food in the United States is increasing (Tropp). In 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative, an agency-wide effort to generate new economic opportunities by improving the connection between consumers and local producers. As part of the effort, numerous efforts and funding programs have been touted to help farmers, help consumers access nutritious foods, and support the growth of rural communities. Federal, state and local government programs increasingly support local food systems