**7. Conclusion**

Local food research is an area of study with a vast number of possible areas of future research. Local farmers will find value in knowing that market potential does exist for their product, and consumers are expressing an interest in purchasing locally produced food at all channels of distribution. Their motivation to buy local food products is not driven by fear and concerns over food products, but rather by knowing key information on country of origin, nutritional value, freshness and healthiness. This information could be found in the packaging (i.e. date of packaging, contact information, etc.). In terms of channels of distribution, many more people expressed a willingness to purchase local food products if available at their supermarkets, local grocery stores and specialty stores, while only a very small percentage would consider the farmer's market. This result is consistent with the findings from the study conducted in Ontario [15], which also found a willingness to buy local food products if available in more conven‐ tional stores. However, this may defeat the philosophy of buying and eating local. Further, it is important for farmers to note that consumers do express a willingness to pay a premium for their local food products.

Although consistent with other research that has profiled a typical local food consumer, farmers should not solely target the typical demographic profile (well-educated woman, with above average income and family), but should consider the importance of product attributes to all consumers when creating their marketing approach. For example, knowing that a product is locally produced, and promoting it based on its nutrition, health benefits, taste and reduced food mileage, might be a better strategy than just focusing on the typical local foods consumer. Contrary to the existing literature on sustainability, and the concept of embedded‐ ness, this study did not indicate that consumers concerns and or fears changed consumer's decision to buy local. While the study does reveal that concerns have altered the purchasing patterns and behaviours of consumers, these concerns about foods might relate more to the BSE crisis for example, than the fear of the globalized food system. Further, from an academic perspective, the data collected in this study somewhat contradicts the embeddedness theory, given that it has been determined that it was not concerns over the global food system that drive the decision to purchase local food products. Further exploration of the reasoning behind the decision to buy local could be explored in order to determine if social theory, and the desire to purchase sustainable products plays a role in consumers decision-making.
