Baltimore Among Best Cities To Buy Local Food, Ranking Says

To determine where residents were most likely to find the best local food, lawn care blog LawnStarter compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities using data from multiple sources including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Researchers then determined which cities had the greatest access, support, and interest in local food sources such as u-pick farms, on-farm markets, and local dairy farms.

The analysis did not include farmers markets, farm-to-table restaurants, co-ops and grocery stores selling local products due to a lack of national data, researchers said.

Baltimore is the third-best city to buy local food, according to this year's ranking. Only Portland, Oregon, and New York City ranked higher.

Here's a look at the local food options in Baltimore, according to the ranking:

"Baltimore supports farmers and locavores through the city's Homegrown Baltimore initiative. Residents can explore local options on the Baltimore Foodshed map," the ranking states. " Maggie's Farm is a favorite farm-to-table spot for locals. Another option is Gertrude's , which serves up a Chesapeake-inspired menu inside the Baltimore Museum of Art."

Seven Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states score in the top half of the ranking due to the "impressive access" to farm stands, u-pick farms, and farms offering on-farm markets, pickup, and delivery services.