JOIN THE LOCAL FOOD REVOLUTION! January 2007 - you naughty little food rebel......

Ten Ways A Local Food Economy
Can Improve Your Life:

Buying local food keeps your money in your local economy.
Supporting your local economy helps support your neighbors and
the quality of life in your area is more likely to be good if your local
economy is strong.
Local Food produced by small family farms is more
environmentally responsible because small farms are more
likely to use humane animal management practices and sustainable
growing practices. That means they aren't just looking at the quick
and easy buck. They have a vested interest in the long term well
being of their land.
A local food economy helps to ensure food safety. If you know
the people who know your food chances are you can feel secure
about its handling. It goes both ways, if a farmer knows his
customers, he is going to feel more responsible for the customers
well being. Also Local food is less susceptible to any kind of
tampering. You also don't have to worry so much a break in the
food delivery system if their is a natural disaster, as the food is
already close by.
A local food economy builds community. There is a
relationship built between the producers and consumers and
neighbors are more likely to get to know each other in the
purchasing process. Often times people go to the farm to see
where their food is grown. You begin to feel like it is your farm too,
because that's where your food comes from. Social scientists have
done studies which show that people who have developed a strong
sense of community are healthier, happier and live longer.
Food sources from local farms is often more environmentally
responsible, not only because of production methods, but because
of transportation associated with conventional food sources. If all
other things are equal (production methods), locally raised corn,
which was raised 50 miles away, vs conventionally raised corn
raised 1000 miles away has a much smaller environmental impact.
Al locally produced organic ear of corn has even more
environmentally responsible, for many reasons, one being because
they are dumping less chemicals in to our environment.
Large mono-culture based farms are not sustainable.
A mono-culture based farms is a farm that only produces one thing.
The more diversity in a n ecosystem the more stable the
ecosystem. Farms that produce vast acreages of one product
reduce the biodiversity of that ecosystem. Small family farms often
increase biodiversity. Once again, an organic farm is the most
environmentally responsible, but even natural food is better than
conventionally raised food from large mono-culture based farms.
Supporting local food producers helps save family farms,
especially if you purchase directly from the he producer. In
Kentucky where I farm, family farms are trying to transition out of
tobacco production. Often farms have farmed tobacco for
generations. Tobacco farmers knew they had a ready market for
their hight quality product; that market was cigarette manufacturers.
The tobacco quota buying system has collapsed and now farmers
are searching for a new, dependable market. At the same time the
public wants the freshest, tastiest, healthiest products available.
The two just need to find each other.
You can broaden your horizons. You may be more likely to
purchase a new variety of vegetable if you can get tips on how to
prepare it. heirloom and rare vegetables are often available
through local growers. Many of these more rare vegetables are not
available in larger stores because they do not transport well. For
example, heirloom tomatoes don't have thick skin and don't
transport well, so those are given up for the ones with thicker skins,
even they don't taste as good. Also better tasting tomato growing is
sacrificed for the higher yielding. Farmers can often make
preparation suggestions and many provide recipes. Sometimes
you can request that your farmer grown something that you can find
no where else.
Building and supporting a local food system sends a
message. Change may need to come from the ground up in this
case. The message to our political leaders and to the rest of the
world is this: Americans care about the earth. We care about our
children. We want to take personal responsibility for our health and
well being and help to ensure the same for future generations.
Although he United States has finally agreed that climate change
exists, we are late coming to the table. I have always feared that by
not participating in action against climate change we appear
arrogant and spoiled to our worlds other citizens. Like a child
unwilling to share its favorite plaything. To ignore the needs of
others is selfish and that is how we could be perceived. If our
citizens actions show a different stance I think it could have an affect
on world wide public opinion. It won't matter what name is used for
God if the ecosystems of the world collapse. We shall have failed
the Almighty by failing to be good stewards of creation.
Local food doesn't have to travel very far. You benefit by
getting food as its freshest. Locally produced food tastes better.
Your producer can harvest things at the peak of ripeness. Often
food being shipped from far away must be harvested before being
fully ripe so It ripens in a box, not on its stem. Also we lose the
health benefits of the food the longer the time between picking and
consumption.

This column was brought to you by:

Sandee Corlett of Earth's Promise Farm,
a family owned organic farm in Shelbyville, Kentucky.