|
|
A local engagementMr. Consumer, meet Mr. Farmer. He's been growing sweet corn on his family's farm on the west side of town for 25 years. He's the fourth generation to live on the farm. His son is studying agronomy at the local community college and hopes to be the fifth generation. Mr. Consumer has been eating sweet corn since his two front teeth grew in at the age of one. He's interested in buying locally because he feels more confident in purchasing his food when he knows the person he's buying from. It's a match made in heaven. In fact, there are more and more of these relationships popping up all over the country. The newest buzzword regarding food is "local." Consumers across the nation are joining a movement to "Eat Local." They hope that by doing so more food dollars go directly to farmers, which in turn strengthens the local economy. According to an "Eat Local" challenge based in Portland, Oregon, when consumers eat locally, more than 90 cents of every dollar goes to the farmer, thus preserving farming as a livelihood and farmland. And the trend doesn't stop there. During these economic times, there seems to be an ever-growing need for consumers to get back to the basics. They are sorting through take-out menus less often. Instead, they are paying attention to ways to eat well and for less money Last weekend, my friend shared some vegetables out of her garden with us, which were grown in a community garden in Iola, Kan. The garden provides space and tools for anyone who has $20 and initiative to grow whatever their hearts desire. Any goods that are more than the growers can use get passed on to local food banks. Recently U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced a new initiative called "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food." The goal of the program is to connect consumers with farmers who grow food. In addition, USDA says it wants the program to "increase the production, marketing and consumption of fresh, nutritious food that is grown locally in a sustainable manner." I can't help but applaud the effort and trends I see going on. Each time consumers make an effort to connect with the producers who grow their food, they are being more engaged in the agriculture industry. Endeavors like my friend's community garden are fantastic. They allow people who don't have the space or equipment to grow a garden the opportunity to know the satisfaction of biting into a homegrown tomato that was raised with their tender loving care. It helps people identify with farmers and the work and care that must be exerted to raise wholesome food for the grocery shelves. That said, we must also be careful to recognize that eating local will not feed the world. We know that there will be an additional 2.5 billion people in this world by 2050, according to estimates of the International Database of the U.S. Census Bureau. Someone--namely farmers--will have to meet that demand for food. We know that family farmers who choose to run their farms on a larger scale and utilize technology to do so will be the key. High tech, large farms aren't the enemy of farmers' market producers or vice versa. Both will play a critical role in feeding the world in the future. Both can exist in a environmentally sound and sustainable way. And it's exciting to see consumers showing an interest in their food supply. Ultimately, if they are engaged, they will be much less likely to ship food production overseas and out of our hands. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 620-227-1806, or by e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com.
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2011. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
|
