A tangible way to significantly lower gas prices has been found.

“If every person in America bought locally grown food instead of from the grocery store, gas could be 25 percent cheaper,” Michael McMullen said. “That’s because 25 percent of our gas [is used] to ship food from California, Florida and Arizona all over the country.”

Michael McMullen is a fifth-generation farmer on the McMullen Family Farm near Athens.

“I love this town, and I love my farm. It’s hard, though, just me and my Daddy doing all the work,” McMullen said.

Many farms only specialize in five or six crops, but the McMullen Farm harvests around 80 crops a year.

“We have 300 acres, so we have cows and everything you could imagine,” McMullen said. “We eat all our own food and we’re healthy as horses.”

McMullen spent the summer and fall selling his potatoes, pecans, onions, peppers, sweet potatoes and vegetables at the Athens Farmers Market.

His red potatoes ran for $2 per pound. Kroger, the

University’s closest grocery store on Alps, sells the same product for 99 cents per pound.

Although McMullen’s are twice as expensive, he says the quality makes it worth it. In addition, supporting local businesses means supporting yourself.

Oftentimes, University students forget they are part of a city and a community, even if they are only here for four or five years.

Ellen Bagwell, an anthropology and Spanish major, is passionate about this subject.

“We live in a globalized, industrialized, modernized world where mass production is taking over. A lot of people don’t seem to care, but they should,” Bagwell said.

The word “community” is thrown around frequently, but buying local food is a way to support the local and improve your health at the same time.

“Ask yourself: ‘What is healthy?’ Is it low fat ice cream made with homogenized oil, or is it ice cream made from a local farm’s cow’s milk with no preservatives? Eating local food is the healthiest way to go,” Bagwell said.

Bagwell is a member of an organization called F.O.L.K., or Furthering Our Local Knowledge. It is an organization started by University students with the intent of keeping community memories and traditions going. The value from locally grown food in knowing the farmer and sharing traditions is irreplaceable, Bagwell said.

McMullen agrees.

“We’re all family around here. We spend a lot of time together at places like the Athens Farmers Market, and we all support this city,” McMullen said.

Then there is the environmental benefit.

There are more advantages than lower gas prices, Bagwell said.

“There are no chemicals or pesticides being added to the atmosphere, and there is no genetic altering,” she said.

McMullen said that beneficial insects are added to his farm to keep away disease, and he has not had a problem with a single crop he has produced.

His farm, among many others, is Certified Naturally Grown, a certificate ensuring organic growing and humane treatment of livestock.

So, how would you get food from a local farm? They make it simple.

Visiting www.athens.locallygrown.net is one way to buy locally grown food online.

Orders are taken Monday and Tuesday until 8 p.m. and are available for pick-up Thursday from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Ben’s Bikes, located on the corner of Pope and Broad Street.

When an order is placed, the farmers take Wednesday to harvest, so the food delivered is as fresh as possible.

“Eating locally grown food is an awesome way to slow down, get to know some people and enjoy great, healthy food,” Bagwell said.

“It’s the best way to love on the city of Athens and yourself.”