Dear Aggie: I learned my lesson during this COVID crisis and want to be prepared with enough food should an emergency ever happen again! Last season I started a small garden, bought veggies from local farmers, and started to freeze and preserve my produce. Now I am ready to tackle buying meat from a farmer, I even have a freezer. Help â where should I start? A: Nothing is more satisfying or provides a sense of security than having your pantry and freezer full of food. There are many good reasons to buy meat locally. You get to know your farmer and can buy from a farmer who shares similar animal welfare values. You support a local farm business which helps keep the dollars circulating in the community. You also strengthen our local food system. A diverse and strong local food system makes sure there is food growing in our community should supply problems arise as we witnessed with the COVID crisis.