This article came out in August and because of how busy that time of year is I didnt have time to properly respond to it. Ive now been farming for over 16 years, and I can say that the article resonates. Organics has been very trendy during this time. Top Chefs have earned huge reputations using local and organic produce. Stores such as Whole Foods and other middle men processors (and even several larger Co-ops) have seen their stocks sky rocket. However, the tide of popularity of locavore movement has not had much impact for financial success for the many farmers who are at the heart of the food movement. It is such an irony when I go to a store and see the faces of my fellow farmers used as pitchmen in the stores glossy display advertisements, but look down and see California organic produce because the produce manager was unwilling to pay the premium needed by the local producer. What I feel people need to understand is that there is a reason that local producers need a premium for their food. #1 If we want to see real change away from the industrial model its important to know that the reason why the industrial model of farming is so efficient is because it treats land and people as machines, which can be worked to the max and discarded when not useful anymore. We need to realize its difficult for small farmers to compete on with a farming industry that uses a labor pool that is treated very similar to slaves. #2 We need to realize that local climates are much more vulnerable to unpredictable weather conditions. Most of the produce in the United States is now grown in the deserts of California where factors such as water are controlled. Growing vegetables in a place like MN means that we are under constant threat of thunderstorms, frost, snow etc. which can and do devastate our crops annually. Does this mean that its better to be growing in a place like California because of this? Absolutely not, especially when you think about how vulnerable our water supply is in the Western United States plus transporting food 1500 miles uses up the other limited resource of oil. #3-- Nutrient Density of our food supply begins in the soil. When settlers first arrived to the midwest they were astounded by the rich, black top soil that went several feet down. Such great land was the result of tens of thousands of years of buffalo and other herd animals plodding over the plains of the midwest. It also was built up by the elaborate root systems and the microbiological network of the native prairie grasses. Such nutrient density is vital to the health of our food which in turn is vital to our health. Most produce today that is found in the grocery store is devoid of the minerals and nutrients that our bodies need (it takes on average 8 plates of spinach to equate to the same amount of nutrients our grandparents were receiving). Because of the lack of nutrients, we as a population are obese but starving. #4--Purchasing local food can be seen as an investment in our food security. There maybe a time that our borders will be limited, and our population does not have access to food. Whether it be threats of a pandemic, war, or a break down of our energy grid, there is great value in investing now into our local food system. Just one example of a threat is that Dr. Michael Osterholm of the U of M has been warning us for years that it is not a matter of if a pandemic will affect us but it is a matter of when. The best way to come through such dire situations without panic and mayhem is if we are prepared for them now. We pay for insurance on our homes because of the possibilities of the unforeseen. Why not invest in our food security? 5.Finally, (I dont know really if there is a finally-- I could go on about the importance of buying locally). Its important to realize the knowledge that is lost by losing our farmers. The average age of a farmer today is 57 years old. Our operations are very complicated systems. Its not about just going out and throwing some seeds in the ground and watching them grow. Rather, it takes years to learn how to grow well. Ive heard that it takes 3 generations to create a farm to point to where it can THRIVE. If we dont nourish the farmers in the same way that they have cultivated the land, we put at risk the future of strong communities, a healthy population, and a clean environment. The bottom line is this. If you want to see change on this planet I see the small farm movement as being a CRITICAL piece to this. There is a group of us small farmers that have been pioneers to this movement. We have taken a lot of risks financially. We have put more time and energy into our farm operations than most consumers could ever conceive, sacrificing both health and many times family. The only way that we can have sustainable farming into the future is to realize that farmers cannot continue to hold up the whole movement on our backs. We need your support. We need consumers to start to participate more in this relationship to the land, to the workers, and to how your food is grown. I believe that the concept of COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE is key to the absolute survival to the inroads that we have made in the last 15 years. We need you to invest in your beliefs by purchasing your CSA share early and volunteering when your farmer hosts farm events. Basically I challenge you all to break down the mentality of consumer/customer mentality that is pervasive in every other transaction you make and instead make your food purchase an intimate one based out of the vision of hope for the future.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 18:56:44 +0000
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