Hello Everyone,
With Thanksgiving only a day away, I thought it would be nice to get a new post up on here (yes, I stink, and it's been well over a month since my last one).
While you are enjoying your turkey, yams, cranberries, green beans and all of the rest of the food included in your Thanksgiving bounty, remember to give thanks not only for friends, family and loved ones, but also for the farmers that work so hard to provide you with sustenance throughout the year. Without them, you would not be able to enjoy the things you consume on Thanksgiving (or any other day for that matter). In other words, No Farms No Food.
Enjoy your day, and keep on the lookout for new posts!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
First Annual New York Times Magazine Food Issue to Debut This Sunday
What is the most underappreciated part of protecting our national security? Some argue that it is maintaining a cheap and abundant supply of food--something that has become increasingly difficult in recent years as global food prices have risen almost 40%.
This Sunday, the New York Times Magazine will release its first annual Food edition, highlighted with a letter penned by popular sustainable agriculture advocate Michael Pollan to the next President of the United States. See the blurb below from Sustainable Daily News for a sneak peak into what Mr. Pollan believes will be one of the greatest challenges for a President in American history:
Update: Michael Pollan's letter to next president urges 'solar food economy'
New York Times Magazine debuts first annual Food Issue on Sunday
by Sustainable Food News
October 8, 2008
The first annual Food Issue from The New York Times Magazine debuts this Sunday and features an open letter from best-selling author and sustainable food champion Michael Pollan to the next president.
In a piece called “Farmer in Chief," Pollan argues that a new national food policy is as urgent as progress on health care, energy independence or climate change.
Pollan writes to the next president-elect to say that while issues surrounding food – dormant for the decades the industrial food industry has ruled – were not debated during the campaign, things are going to change.
"But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact — so easy to overlook these past few years — that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security," he wrote in his 8,200-plus missive to the president-elect.
Federal subsidies have succeeded in keeping food prices low, but with huge costs in terms of fossil fuels and public health.
"Your challenge is to take control of this vast federal machinery and use it to drive a transition to a new solar-food economy, starting on the farm," Pollan wrote.
The first annual Food Issue of the New York Times Magazine also delves into the debate over just what “good food” means: good for us, good for the economy, or good for the planet?
Last year, a nearly 40 percent spike in world food prices were reflected in the true costs of cheap food – from obesity to malnutrition to environmental decline.
The Food Issue explores the scope of the problem and captures how, around the world, the main course is shifting.
Also in the premier issue is a piece called Encounter: A Green Revolution for Africa?
The Gates Foundation is making a big push to jump start agricultural development in Africa, where staving off famine and environmental degradation depends on increased yields for small farmers.
But not everyone, contributing writer David Rieff discovers, is on board.
This Sunday, the New York Times Magazine will release its first annual Food edition, highlighted with a letter penned by popular sustainable agriculture advocate Michael Pollan to the next President of the United States. See the blurb below from Sustainable Daily News for a sneak peak into what Mr. Pollan believes will be one of the greatest challenges for a President in American history:
Update: Michael Pollan's letter to next president urges 'solar food economy'
New York Times Magazine debuts first annual Food Issue on Sunday
by Sustainable Food News
October 8, 2008
The first annual Food Issue from The New York Times Magazine debuts this Sunday and features an open letter from best-selling author and sustainable food champion Michael Pollan to the next president.
In a piece called “Farmer in Chief," Pollan argues that a new national food policy is as urgent as progress on health care, energy independence or climate change.
Pollan writes to the next president-elect to say that while issues surrounding food – dormant for the decades the industrial food industry has ruled – were not debated during the campaign, things are going to change.
"But with a suddenness that has taken us all by surprise, the era of cheap and abundant food appears to be drawing to a close. What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact — so easy to overlook these past few years — that the health of a nation’s food system is a critical issue of national security," he wrote in his 8,200-plus missive to the president-elect.
Federal subsidies have succeeded in keeping food prices low, but with huge costs in terms of fossil fuels and public health.
"Your challenge is to take control of this vast federal machinery and use it to drive a transition to a new solar-food economy, starting on the farm," Pollan wrote.
The first annual Food Issue of the New York Times Magazine also delves into the debate over just what “good food” means: good for us, good for the economy, or good for the planet?
Last year, a nearly 40 percent spike in world food prices were reflected in the true costs of cheap food – from obesity to malnutrition to environmental decline.
The Food Issue explores the scope of the problem and captures how, around the world, the main course is shifting.
Also in the premier issue is a piece called Encounter: A Green Revolution for Africa?
The Gates Foundation is making a big push to jump start agricultural development in Africa, where staving off famine and environmental degradation depends on increased yields for small farmers.
But not everyone, contributing writer David Rieff discovers, is on board.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Check out Highfield Dairy on DCFoodies!!
Dan and John, the farmers from Highfield Dairy that I work for, were recently profiled in the blog dcfoodies.com.
Here's the link to the story: http://www.dcfoodies.com/2008/09/highfield-dairy.html.
As a little background to the profile on DCFoodies, I'd like to tell you a little bit about the faces behind the infamous goat cheese.
Dan and John were both residents of Washington, DC for many years before moving up to Fulton County, PA to work full time on the farm about two years ago. Dan was a government employee while John was (and is) a professionally trained chef. On the farm, they raise goats, pigs, chickens and a herd of Highland cattle. Highland cattle are the ones with the really long, shaggy hair, and are one of the oldest and most rare breeds of cattle in the country. (Highland cattle were brought to the US in the late 19th century, with the first documented herd in 1884.) Highland cattle are particularly lean and produce very tender cuts of beef.
Although they also process and sell pork, the star of the show (as noted in the DCFoodie profile) is most definitely the goat cheese. It is not like the traditional goat cheese most of you have probably had. The cheese these guys produce is smooth, almost like a cream cheese consistency and is a perfect compliment for any meal. (Personally, I like using it on pork chops or flank steak to give the meat a little extra something.) They produce a plain goat cheese as well other flavors including (but not limited to):
-Herbs
-Roasted garlic with sun dried tomato
-Watercress and horseradish
-Mixed berry with honey and nuts
If there is any doubt, these guys are truly sustainable farmers and take great pride in the loving way they treat their animals. (Many times Dan has told me that John has stayed up nights looking after sick animals, and relentlessly plays "mother hen" to all of the pigs, goats, chickens and cattle.)
I GREATLY encourage you to come check us out at the Dupont Circle farmers' market. We are there ALL year round (yes, even through the winter). The market is open 9-1 until about December when the hours change to 10-1. I promise you, you won't be disappointed!
Here's a short list of the products we offer:
-Goat cheese tarts (goat cheese, egg, dried roma tomatoes, herbs)
-Breakfast Tarts (eggs, grits, onions, peppers, cheddar cheese--Vegetarian or Sausage)
-Goat cheese pierogies (basically big dough pockets filled with mashed potatoes and goat cheese)
-Quiches (this is a special treat, we do not have them every week, but when we do, they are sooo good. Varieties we had this past week: broccoli, mushroom, bacon, bacon-mushroom)
-Fresh fruit sorbet (flavors include: strawberry, peach, banana, blackberry, red raspberry, and others)
-Beef
-Pork
-Eggs
-Goats milk yogurt
-Feta (made from goat's milk)
-....and more!!!
If you have questions, let me know!!
Here's the link to the story: http://www.dcfoodies.com/2008/09/highfield-dairy.html.
As a little background to the profile on DCFoodies, I'd like to tell you a little bit about the faces behind the infamous goat cheese.
Dan and John were both residents of Washington, DC for many years before moving up to Fulton County, PA to work full time on the farm about two years ago. Dan was a government employee while John was (and is) a professionally trained chef. On the farm, they raise goats, pigs, chickens and a herd of Highland cattle. Highland cattle are the ones with the really long, shaggy hair, and are one of the oldest and most rare breeds of cattle in the country. (Highland cattle were brought to the US in the late 19th century, with the first documented herd in 1884.) Highland cattle are particularly lean and produce very tender cuts of beef.
Although they also process and sell pork, the star of the show (as noted in the DCFoodie profile) is most definitely the goat cheese. It is not like the traditional goat cheese most of you have probably had. The cheese these guys produce is smooth, almost like a cream cheese consistency and is a perfect compliment for any meal. (Personally, I like using it on pork chops or flank steak to give the meat a little extra something.) They produce a plain goat cheese as well other flavors including (but not limited to):
-Herbs
-Roasted garlic with sun dried tomato
-Watercress and horseradish
-Mixed berry with honey and nuts
If there is any doubt, these guys are truly sustainable farmers and take great pride in the loving way they treat their animals. (Many times Dan has told me that John has stayed up nights looking after sick animals, and relentlessly plays "mother hen" to all of the pigs, goats, chickens and cattle.)
I GREATLY encourage you to come check us out at the Dupont Circle farmers' market. We are there ALL year round (yes, even through the winter). The market is open 9-1 until about December when the hours change to 10-1. I promise you, you won't be disappointed!
Here's a short list of the products we offer:
-Goat cheese tarts (goat cheese, egg, dried roma tomatoes, herbs)
-Breakfast Tarts (eggs, grits, onions, peppers, cheddar cheese--Vegetarian or Sausage)
-Goat cheese pierogies (basically big dough pockets filled with mashed potatoes and goat cheese)
-Quiches (this is a special treat, we do not have them every week, but when we do, they are sooo good. Varieties we had this past week: broccoli, mushroom, bacon, bacon-mushroom)
-Fresh fruit sorbet (flavors include: strawberry, peach, banana, blackberry, red raspberry, and others)
-Beef
-Pork
-Eggs
-Goats milk yogurt
-Feta (made from goat's milk)
-....and more!!!
If you have questions, let me know!!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
NEW Restaurant in DC That Will Source From Local, Family Farms
What an exciting day! I heard about this restaurant through a friend about a week ago, but didn't really get excited about it until I looked through their website and menu.
The restaurant--Founding Farmers--is located on Pennsylvania Avenue, in the new International Monetary Fund building just three blocks from the White House. It is owned by the North Dakota Farmers Union, the same organization that opened Agraria on the Georgetown waterfront a year or so ago. Employing a “true food and drink” philosophy, Founding Farmers focuses on providing meals made from fresh, locally-sourced and family farm-sourced ingredients.
The menu includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, centered on homemade “scratch” cooking, with a blend of old and new recipes--everything from classic American dishes such as potpies, steaks and hearty “farm” sandwiches to big salads, breads, pastries and pies. The average dinner entree ranges from $15-$30.
I will be checking this new restaurant out soon, and hope you will too! Would love to hear what you think about the food, suggestions for what to get, anything! Oh, and if you have not tried Agraria yet, I highly recommend it.
Here's their website: http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.
The restaurant--Founding Farmers--is located on Pennsylvania Avenue, in the new International Monetary Fund building just three blocks from the White House. It is owned by the North Dakota Farmers Union, the same organization that opened Agraria on the Georgetown waterfront a year or so ago. Employing a “true food and drink” philosophy, Founding Farmers focuses on providing meals made from fresh, locally-sourced and family farm-sourced ingredients.
The menu includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, centered on homemade “scratch” cooking, with a blend of old and new recipes--everything from classic American dishes such as potpies, steaks and hearty “farm” sandwiches to big salads, breads, pastries and pies. The average dinner entree ranges from $15-$30.
I will be checking this new restaurant out soon, and hope you will too! Would love to hear what you think about the food, suggestions for what to get, anything! Oh, and if you have not tried Agraria yet, I highly recommend it.
Here's their website: http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.
Friday, September 26, 2008
San Francisco Could Feed Itself With Local Food
Hello Everyone,
The organization I work for released a study about a week ago that examined the ability of the city of San Francisco to feed itself only with goods produced locally. The results are very interesting. See the report here: http://www.farmland.org/programs/states/ca/Feature%20Stories/documents/ThinkGloballyEatLocally-FinalReport8-23-08.pdf
The organization I work for released a study about a week ago that examined the ability of the city of San Francisco to feed itself only with goods produced locally. The results are very interesting. See the report here: http://www.farmland.org/programs/states/ca/Feature%20Stories/documents/ThinkGloballyEatLocally-FinalReport8-23-08.pdf
Friday, September 19, 2008
Mmmm GMO's
I can taste the test tube goodness already....
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/18/tech/main4457337.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/18/tech/main4457337.shtml
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Family Farmers Don't Mistreat Their Animals
Did anyone see this story in the paper today? (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/16/abused.pigs.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview)
Undercover PETA investigators found that workers at a factory pork farm in Iowa were disgustingly mistreating their animals. Rods stuffed in sow's vaginas, picking up and throwing piglets on cement floors--I mean some really vile stuff.
Now, I am not a red-paint-throwing advocate of PETA, however this does bring up a somewhat lost point that is extremely relevant to this blog: Family farmers DO NOT mistreat their animals.
I obviously cannot speak for every family and small-scale farmer in the country, however, in my experience this claim is 100 percent true. Where factory farms raise 1000s upon 1000s of animals, most family farms only raise a few hundred (at the very most). It is in the best interest of the farmer to treat their animals as caringly and lovingly as possible in order to produce the highest quality products and highest quality offspring. Some of you may be turned off by me describing the treatment of animals that will eventually be killed and eaten as "lovingly," but if you've ever seen a farmer care for his animals then you know this is true.
I guess my point with the entry is to highlight yet another benefit of eating locally produced products. This benefit being that you know the pork, beef, poultry, lamb, etc. that you are eating was treated humanely while alive and raised sustainably.
So if you eat meat, and are the least bit concerned with animal welfare, you should consider buying your products from local farmers who, if you ask them really nicely, will usually even let you come out to their farm and see how they raise their animals. NO factory farm in the country would ever allow that. This way you can feel completely secure with your choice.
Another bonus: Meat isn't seasonal!! It is available at your local market all year long (that is, if it stays open all year).
Now, I imagine that there are vegitarians/vegans out there who will counter with, "well, if you don't eat meat at all, you don't have to worry about how your food is treated. Eating meat is wrong. Blah, blah, blah." Stay mute for now and wait for my entry on how living a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle CAN BE (notice how I don't say is) one of the most unstainable practices imaginable.
Look forward to your comments.
Undercover PETA investigators found that workers at a factory pork farm in Iowa were disgustingly mistreating their animals. Rods stuffed in sow's vaginas, picking up and throwing piglets on cement floors--I mean some really vile stuff.
Now, I am not a red-paint-throwing advocate of PETA, however this does bring up a somewhat lost point that is extremely relevant to this blog: Family farmers DO NOT mistreat their animals.
I obviously cannot speak for every family and small-scale farmer in the country, however, in my experience this claim is 100 percent true. Where factory farms raise 1000s upon 1000s of animals, most family farms only raise a few hundred (at the very most). It is in the best interest of the farmer to treat their animals as caringly and lovingly as possible in order to produce the highest quality products and highest quality offspring. Some of you may be turned off by me describing the treatment of animals that will eventually be killed and eaten as "lovingly," but if you've ever seen a farmer care for his animals then you know this is true.
I guess my point with the entry is to highlight yet another benefit of eating locally produced products. This benefit being that you know the pork, beef, poultry, lamb, etc. that you are eating was treated humanely while alive and raised sustainably.
So if you eat meat, and are the least bit concerned with animal welfare, you should consider buying your products from local farmers who, if you ask them really nicely, will usually even let you come out to their farm and see how they raise their animals. NO factory farm in the country would ever allow that. This way you can feel completely secure with your choice.
Another bonus: Meat isn't seasonal!! It is available at your local market all year long (that is, if it stays open all year).
Now, I imagine that there are vegitarians/vegans out there who will counter with, "well, if you don't eat meat at all, you don't have to worry about how your food is treated. Eating meat is wrong. Blah, blah, blah." Stay mute for now and wait for my entry on how living a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle CAN BE (notice how I don't say is) one of the most unstainable practices imaginable.
Look forward to your comments.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Heeeello Everyone!
Farming, both small- and large-scale, is vital not only to the survival of the world's (growing) population, but also to solving some of of the most pressing problems (environmental degradation, energy dependence) we face today, and will face in future generations. By promoting local agricultural production, we as consumers and citizens aware of how our choices affect more than just what's on our plate, can positively influence how food production, transportation and marketing are done.
Since becoming immersed in the local foods movement, I have come to realize that there are many others that share my ideals of supporting local farms and farmers for the multitude of benefits they produce. And thus, I have decided to create an actual blog to chronicle this increasingly popular phenomenon.
In my mind (we'll see where this ends up in practice), this blog will be a place where I, and hopefully others, can post local food events, recipes, ideas for eating/living sustainably and anything else that relates to being a "locavore".
Below, I have reposted a note originally posted on facebook a few months ago. I think it is a good base to begin what I hope will be a long-term, fruitful conversation. Enjoy (and hope to hear from you soon).
_________________________________________________________________
"Read before you starve"
Having been immersed in everything agriculture for the last 6 months or so, I've begun to realize that most people are not only unaware of where the food that sustains their ability to live comes from but also that they simply don't care. Although I understand that most people do not have the farming background that I am so fortunate to have experienced, this still troubles me.
Apart from, what I will call, the politics of food (which I will touch briefly on later), there's seems to be an illogical disconnect between field, fork and mouth. I assume that most people realize that what they put into their bodies was at one time a part of this earth, either plant or animal. However, in a time where there are now supermarkets enclosed in mega-retail outlets (ahem Wal-Mart), most people I've spoken with don't give a second thought to buying the cheapest, most readily available meat and produce they can find.
And here lies the problem. It is the disconnect that I mention above. When people buy all of their food directly from supermarkets (whether it's Whole Foods or Food Lion), they fail to recognize the overly laborious work that small time farmers put in to make ends meat. By and large (and thankfully now this is beginning to change), the food you buy in a traditional supermarket comes from two places: 1) A factory farm in the US 2) Somewhere outside of the United States that can provide the product to the corporation at a drastically reduced price. By supporting this kind of blind American consumerism, you are basically giving small farmers a big "fuck you".
Now, do I expect you all to go out and find your nearest farmers market or commit a year of your life to working on an organic farm? Of course not. What I do hope however, is that from this moment on, you will THINK. I am as guilty (and I use the term in a completely non-accusatory way) as anyone else of basing my food consumption on convenience. I shop at Whole Foods and will even hit up Giant every now and then. However, the one thing that I always do is think about where the food I'm purchasing comes from, and how, in turn it affects those who provide it.
The reasons for supporting local agriculture are substantial. There are environmental, economic and even social justice issues involved. However, to begin with I'd like to talk a little about why consuming without contemplating is more dangerous than you think. Putting aside the fact that factory farms push small farmers out of business, their production techniques are often damaging to the environment. Factory farms are driven by supply. They do not operate by the normal economic model of supply and demand. For them, the more that can be produced the better. If you can sell it at a lower price, more large corporations will want to buy it. The lower the purchase price, the higher the mark up when it finally gets to you.
Well isn't producing an excess amount of food good for everyone? Can't this help feed the hungry? While there are some larger farms that do operate gleaning (look it up) programs, most are not as socially responsible. In order to produce such a large quantity of goods, these factory farms throw environmental stewardship practices out the window. Among many things, they use fertilizer at rates well above the recommended university level. This depletes the land of its natural nutritional bounty and often leads to nutrient and sediment runoff that pollutes our rivers, lakes and steams. I could go on and on, but if you're interested I can always share more information with you.
Furthermore, the benefits of supporting sustainable agriculture go far beyond the environmental benefits (I know, we're not ALL tree huggers). When you choose to buy local you are not just contributing to the fiscal viability of small farmers but you are supporting the history of this country and a distinctive way of life. Lots of us have either grown up or migrated to urban areas and it's important to remember that for a large part of the population in this country, dirt roads and wire fences are still a relevant part of their lives. Not to mention the fact that when you buy local, you are getting the absolute freshest, most delicious products you could ever ask for. Anyone who is not aware of the difference between store bought and farm fresh produce is missing out on a flavor revolution.
I'm not going to try and fool anyone; buying locally produced products costs more. But only in dollars and cents. The cost of NOT buying from, and thus supporting, local farms is much greater. Aside from the environmental degradation caused by large-scale farming operations, not having local sources of food is a formula for disaster.
Greg, aren't you being a little bit pessimistic? There are always fruits and vegetables at my local grocery store. Right, there are. But the one thing most people don't think about when cutting that tomato or peeling that avocado is distance. Over the past 50 years, the development of worldwide transportation systems has completely changed how our food is delivered to us. With food able to be transported over hundreds of thousands of miles in a matter of hours, grocery chains no longer have to rely on the seasons to determine what fruits and veggies they have to sell. You want peaches in December? Sure! We'll just get them from Argentina. You want strawberries in August? Sure! We'll just ship them in from California. You want lead tainted children's toys? Sure! We'll have them sent in from China. You laugh, but the model is true. Whether it's children's toys or our food, American corporations go to where the purchase price is cheapest because they know Americans will only pay the bare minimum. And don't even get me started on the transportation costs and it's effect on the environment. Just think about this, by the time you sink your teeth into that naval orange, it's been transported hundreds of miles, using x amount of gasoline and polluting the environment during the entire trip. And if there is ever a worldwide catastrophe that cut these transportation lines, where do you think you're food will come from? Yes, that's right, those small, local farmers you refused to support because their apples cost a few more cents a pound than the ones at the grocery store.
However, it is not just consumer choice that drives how the agriculture industry is run. As in most other things in this town, politics play a huge role. Every five years, Congress attempts to pass a national Farm Bill that basically lays out funding and policy for the agriculture industry over the next five years. Contained in the bill is funding for farmland protection program, money for food stamps and other nutritional programs (i.e. farm fresh school lunch programs), dedicated revenue sources for environmental stewardship programs and much much more. Historically, and this continues to be true to this day, the bill has favored the largest farm lobbying groups in the country. To many people's surprise, the strongest lobbies in the country (ag wise and this is debatable in close ag circles) are the National Corn Growers Association and the National SoyBean Association. Why? These are two groups whose constituencies benefit most from the Farm Bill? Why? Because farmers that grow corn and soybeans receive the largest amount of government subsidies. Why? Ethanol production!! As to not go too much into something most of you have no interest in, the Farm Bill matters. In fact, it matters a lot. Currently, Congress is in conference committee discussing the provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill. Looks like conservation programs and nutrition programs are going to receive much needed funding. Everyone cross their fingers.
But I live in or near a city, what can I do to help support local farmers? Farmers markets. There are thriving farmers markets in almost every large or medium sized city in the country. Go to them. Even if you only buy 10% of your totally food intake at these markets, you are doing more good than you'll ever imagine. Another possibility is to join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. The way CSA's work is that you pay a farmer a certain amount of money at the beginning of each season, a "share" if you will. In return, you receive whatever fresh produce is available each week of the entire season. The idea is helping farmers pay for expenses in the beginning of the season (when revenue is low) will help them out economically so they can provide “free” produce to you later in the season (when revenue is high). If you're interested in finding a farmers market or CSA in your area, see the links below:
http://www.localharvest.org/
http://www.sare.org/csa/index.htm
I'm sorry that this entry is not as coherent as I would like it to be. There is just so much information I wanted to share with all of you, and I hope at least some of it has gotten through my rambling. But back to my point, please THINK. Think about where your food comes from. Think about the people who produce it. Think about the environmental and economic impacts of agriculture. And finally, think about the choices you make everyday. Life is all about choices, and what we eat and how we eat may possibly be some of the most important choices we make everyday.
And as a dust bowl farmer once said, "There were times when I wished all those sons-of-bitches would stave. Now I'm afraid they're actually going to"
Since becoming immersed in the local foods movement, I have come to realize that there are many others that share my ideals of supporting local farms and farmers for the multitude of benefits they produce. And thus, I have decided to create an actual blog to chronicle this increasingly popular phenomenon.
In my mind (we'll see where this ends up in practice), this blog will be a place where I, and hopefully others, can post local food events, recipes, ideas for eating/living sustainably and anything else that relates to being a "locavore".
Below, I have reposted a note originally posted on facebook a few months ago. I think it is a good base to begin what I hope will be a long-term, fruitful conversation. Enjoy (and hope to hear from you soon).
_________________________________________________________________
"Read before you starve"
Having been immersed in everything agriculture for the last 6 months or so, I've begun to realize that most people are not only unaware of where the food that sustains their ability to live comes from but also that they simply don't care. Although I understand that most people do not have the farming background that I am so fortunate to have experienced, this still troubles me.
Apart from, what I will call, the politics of food (which I will touch briefly on later), there's seems to be an illogical disconnect between field, fork and mouth. I assume that most people realize that what they put into their bodies was at one time a part of this earth, either plant or animal. However, in a time where there are now supermarkets enclosed in mega-retail outlets (ahem Wal-Mart), most people I've spoken with don't give a second thought to buying the cheapest, most readily available meat and produce they can find.
And here lies the problem. It is the disconnect that I mention above. When people buy all of their food directly from supermarkets (whether it's Whole Foods or Food Lion), they fail to recognize the overly laborious work that small time farmers put in to make ends meat. By and large (and thankfully now this is beginning to change), the food you buy in a traditional supermarket comes from two places: 1) A factory farm in the US 2) Somewhere outside of the United States that can provide the product to the corporation at a drastically reduced price. By supporting this kind of blind American consumerism, you are basically giving small farmers a big "fuck you".
Now, do I expect you all to go out and find your nearest farmers market or commit a year of your life to working on an organic farm? Of course not. What I do hope however, is that from this moment on, you will THINK. I am as guilty (and I use the term in a completely non-accusatory way) as anyone else of basing my food consumption on convenience. I shop at Whole Foods and will even hit up Giant every now and then. However, the one thing that I always do is think about where the food I'm purchasing comes from, and how, in turn it affects those who provide it.
The reasons for supporting local agriculture are substantial. There are environmental, economic and even social justice issues involved. However, to begin with I'd like to talk a little about why consuming without contemplating is more dangerous than you think. Putting aside the fact that factory farms push small farmers out of business, their production techniques are often damaging to the environment. Factory farms are driven by supply. They do not operate by the normal economic model of supply and demand. For them, the more that can be produced the better. If you can sell it at a lower price, more large corporations will want to buy it. The lower the purchase price, the higher the mark up when it finally gets to you.
Well isn't producing an excess amount of food good for everyone? Can't this help feed the hungry? While there are some larger farms that do operate gleaning (look it up) programs, most are not as socially responsible. In order to produce such a large quantity of goods, these factory farms throw environmental stewardship practices out the window. Among many things, they use fertilizer at rates well above the recommended university level. This depletes the land of its natural nutritional bounty and often leads to nutrient and sediment runoff that pollutes our rivers, lakes and steams. I could go on and on, but if you're interested I can always share more information with you.
Furthermore, the benefits of supporting sustainable agriculture go far beyond the environmental benefits (I know, we're not ALL tree huggers). When you choose to buy local you are not just contributing to the fiscal viability of small farmers but you are supporting the history of this country and a distinctive way of life. Lots of us have either grown up or migrated to urban areas and it's important to remember that for a large part of the population in this country, dirt roads and wire fences are still a relevant part of their lives. Not to mention the fact that when you buy local, you are getting the absolute freshest, most delicious products you could ever ask for. Anyone who is not aware of the difference between store bought and farm fresh produce is missing out on a flavor revolution.
I'm not going to try and fool anyone; buying locally produced products costs more. But only in dollars and cents. The cost of NOT buying from, and thus supporting, local farms is much greater. Aside from the environmental degradation caused by large-scale farming operations, not having local sources of food is a formula for disaster.
Greg, aren't you being a little bit pessimistic? There are always fruits and vegetables at my local grocery store. Right, there are. But the one thing most people don't think about when cutting that tomato or peeling that avocado is distance. Over the past 50 years, the development of worldwide transportation systems has completely changed how our food is delivered to us. With food able to be transported over hundreds of thousands of miles in a matter of hours, grocery chains no longer have to rely on the seasons to determine what fruits and veggies they have to sell. You want peaches in December? Sure! We'll just get them from Argentina. You want strawberries in August? Sure! We'll just ship them in from California. You want lead tainted children's toys? Sure! We'll have them sent in from China. You laugh, but the model is true. Whether it's children's toys or our food, American corporations go to where the purchase price is cheapest because they know Americans will only pay the bare minimum. And don't even get me started on the transportation costs and it's effect on the environment. Just think about this, by the time you sink your teeth into that naval orange, it's been transported hundreds of miles, using x amount of gasoline and polluting the environment during the entire trip. And if there is ever a worldwide catastrophe that cut these transportation lines, where do you think you're food will come from? Yes, that's right, those small, local farmers you refused to support because their apples cost a few more cents a pound than the ones at the grocery store.
However, it is not just consumer choice that drives how the agriculture industry is run. As in most other things in this town, politics play a huge role. Every five years, Congress attempts to pass a national Farm Bill that basically lays out funding and policy for the agriculture industry over the next five years. Contained in the bill is funding for farmland protection program, money for food stamps and other nutritional programs (i.e. farm fresh school lunch programs), dedicated revenue sources for environmental stewardship programs and much much more. Historically, and this continues to be true to this day, the bill has favored the largest farm lobbying groups in the country. To many people's surprise, the strongest lobbies in the country (ag wise and this is debatable in close ag circles) are the National Corn Growers Association and the National SoyBean Association. Why? These are two groups whose constituencies benefit most from the Farm Bill? Why? Because farmers that grow corn and soybeans receive the largest amount of government subsidies. Why? Ethanol production!! As to not go too much into something most of you have no interest in, the Farm Bill matters. In fact, it matters a lot. Currently, Congress is in conference committee discussing the provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill. Looks like conservation programs and nutrition programs are going to receive much needed funding. Everyone cross their fingers.
But I live in or near a city, what can I do to help support local farmers? Farmers markets. There are thriving farmers markets in almost every large or medium sized city in the country. Go to them. Even if you only buy 10% of your totally food intake at these markets, you are doing more good than you'll ever imagine. Another possibility is to join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. The way CSA's work is that you pay a farmer a certain amount of money at the beginning of each season, a "share" if you will. In return, you receive whatever fresh produce is available each week of the entire season. The idea is helping farmers pay for expenses in the beginning of the season (when revenue is low) will help them out economically so they can provide “free” produce to you later in the season (when revenue is high). If you're interested in finding a farmers market or CSA in your area, see the links below:
http://www.localharvest.org/
http://www.sare.org/csa/index.htm
I'm sorry that this entry is not as coherent as I would like it to be. There is just so much information I wanted to share with all of you, and I hope at least some of it has gotten through my rambling. But back to my point, please THINK. Think about where your food comes from. Think about the people who produce it. Think about the environmental and economic impacts of agriculture. And finally, think about the choices you make everyday. Life is all about choices, and what we eat and how we eat may possibly be some of the most important choices we make everyday.
And as a dust bowl farmer once said, "There were times when I wished all those sons-of-bitches would stave. Now I'm afraid they're actually going to"
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