As the debate continues about what animal agriculture “should” look like, it is important to understand what consumers perceive attributes and buzzwords such as “local” to mean. In our study, when asked how they defined “local” food, 37% of US consumers described local food as having been produced within 10 miles of their home, 21% described local to mean within 20 miles of their home, and 17% described local food as having been produced within the state. Several demographics were found to be correlated with perceptions of “local”; being male is correlated with defining local food as having been produced within 20 miles of home, whereas living in the Northeast is positively correlated with defining local food as produced within 10 miles of home. Households earning less than $40,000 more often defined local food as having been produced within 10 miles of home. Having visited a beef or dairy farm in the last 5 years is negatively correlated with defining local food as having been produced within 10 miles of home. Expressing concern for the welfare of beef or dairy cattle is positively correlated with defining local food as having been produced within 100 miles of home. Are consumers willing to pay (WTP) for verified locally grown pork chops and chicken breasts? Preliminary results of a simulated purchasing scenario indicate that consumers are WTP up to $2.02/lb. for USDA-verified locally produced chicken breasts, but are not WTP for verified locally produced pork chops. Is it possible consumers feel differently about pigs and chickens? But, when asked, 37% and 38% of consumers express concern for the welfare of farmed pigs and chickens, respectively. Do consumers exhibit more trust in different verification agencies? While consumers were WTP $2.02/lb. for the USDA to verify local production in chicken breasts, those same consumers were only WTP $0.37 for the poultry industry to verify that chicken breasts were produced locally. Knowledge about consumer perceptions of local production can help the animal industries make decisions about marketing livestock products.