Reasons I can think of off the top of my head why I want to buy local food (none really have anything to do with the carbon footprint):

* want to support local businesses and small farms

* (hand in hand) don't want to support "Big Farma"

* want to know what is in my food and what my food is treated with, find it a LOT easier to find this information out if you talk to the person who grew your food as opposed to go to a supermarket

* a day at a farmer's market is a much more enjoyable and engaging experience than an hour or two in a grocery store!

* tying in with the above, want to feel connected to my local community

* the opportunity for learning is endless! go talk to a farmer. seriously. go do it. ask him about soil composition and nitrate and "how does this work?" and "what kind of problems do you experience with x crop?" buying from a local farmer has a potential to build a relationship and gain some interesting, job-specific knowledge that most people don't have anymore.

* want to be able to experience foods, or types of foods, that I can't get from "Big Farma" or a supermarket and maybe can't grow on my own, like heirloom tomatoes for instance or - see that apple article? how about a different kind of apple than the popular 5?

Frankly, I had never considered carbon footprint as a reason for why I believe it's beneficial to try to eat locally.