we’ve started each meeting with a discussion of sustainability and local – not trying to reach consensus, but rather bringing all the associated values and meanings to the table.
describing local and sustainable
Here’s what’s being said:
A Local Food System is
1. $ @ home
2. Resiliant & adaptable, improves over time
3. Willing Farmers, produced & consumed in one local
4. Minimal Waste –efficiency -conserve resources
5. High Quality –fresh
6. Diversity of Products and of Markets
7. Not GMO heirlooms & open pollinated
8. Energy efficient, produce & transportation
9. Environmentally “friendly”. Not petroleum dependent
10. 4 defs, local and sustainable system, local and sustainable food
11. Education awareness, knowledge of value and access
12. Economic awareness of cost
13. SOIL, clean and building more
Local Sustainable Food Economy is
Community-based
Local gardens-everybody working together in a web to support farm to fork.
- Consumer
Education
Cooking differently
- DIVERSE
-multiple products-veg, meat
-varieties
- UNDERSTOOD: TRANSPARENT
-information available to everyone
- INTEGRATED DECISION MAKING
-public policy, education solutions
- WELL-ROUNDED DIET
-broad range of foods locally
- HEALTHY
-nutrient dense food
- AFFORDABLE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE
-all levels, diversity
-needs to get to you
- FLEXIBLE
-adaptable
new strategies to deal with financial crisis
- SUSTAINS LOCAL FARM FAMILIES
- PROFITABLE
-everybody involved
- PERMANENT
-sustainable, support future members of family
12. PROTECTS LAND, AQUATIC, WILDLIFE
The phrases thrown out: Good for FarmersGood for Consumers
Good for the Environment
Strong network that bridges
Health Benefits – good health
Collaboration (working together)
Inclusive, all walks of life access – not just for the wealthy, also accessible by location
Heritable tradition for production – sustainable for farmers
Measurable system – for reducing energy use producing as much as your consumer
Independence – self -sufficient (not on foreign gov’t)
Entrepreneurship
Benefits to bottom line – builds local economy
Education / awareness for children
Culturally appropriate food available
Provides for and demands community investment
Future oriented taker care of future generations
Resilient to natural disasters
Aesthetics beautiful to the consumer
Aware consumers – understand where food comes from
“Sweat equity” blending farmers and consumers
Living wage and sustainable livelihood
Define local – what is it? Any size as long as consumer and producers have a relationship Depends on how much farmer produces – small more local needs Proximity to where grown and sold: county collards vs NC apples vs Peruvian Coffee Kids know where food comes from Farmers Markets everywhere Healthy Environments Farming practices that nurture the land
Nutrient and soil conservationist Ecosystem balance Non Big Ag
Organic Agriculture Good Food Food Safety
Accessible Food
Fewer miles to market
Victory Gardens/Peace Gardens
Stable food supply
Fewer miles to market
Direct Marketing
Food for all
Apprenticeships
Minimum dependence on fossil fuel
Fair / affordability
Protect biodiversity
Everybody eats
Fair to workers Culturally Appropriate
Monetarily fair, socially just
Include everyone and support farms and farmers
Correlation to health care/food/obesity
Culturally effective and relevant
Food from the food shed
Thriving community
Stewardship
Managing waste/resources/clean water/don’t throw away Long term commitment Fewer consequences, know the impact “All produce and meat grown/raised within a radius of 100 miles. If the produce cannot be grown within 100 miles at a reasonable price (in the fullest sense of that word), then it is the closest reasonably priced produce.” good for 7th generations independent food that is nutritious economically viable profitable for public resoruceful sustainable community building buy in from community energy efficient resilient to crisis or unforeseen abundant eating more sunshine, less petroleum attricatiove quality of life Restorative supported by local policies children know plants and want to grow them apples over candy bars – irresistible a necessity value for money accessible – can physically get to purchase point know who grew it—really local healthy ecosysem rooted in local history and culture local as 100 mile radius, 2 hours drive local as depends on the product – native buying as close to consumption as possible about relationships with farmers, earth shaking hands with the grower growing a satisfaction with foods that are native and seasonal
what do you want to add?
Farm to Fork 
November 11, 2008 at 4:58 pm
As a market for local food (not a local food store), we, at the Black Mountain Farmers Market, struggle to balance our customers’ desires and local availability. Thus, we define “local food” as “All produce and meat grown/raised within a radius of 100 miles. If the produce cannot be grown within 100 miles at a reasonable price (in the fullest sense of that word), then it is the closest reasonably priced produce.” This means that for those of us in WNC “local” citrus comes from Florida not California. If produce or meat can be raised within 100 miles but simply is not available because no one is growing/raising it or it’s not available because production has been sold out, then, if it is brought in, it can never be considered “local.” This means that tomatoes from Eastern NC are never considered “local” up here in the mountains.
November 11, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Harry,
this was also articulated at the Burgaw meeting–(for me)Chatham Collards (not Buncombe) vs NC Apples (not washington) vs Peruvian coffee (not Kenyan). I love this idea of “relativeity” of local and how you make “possibility of production” the definer.
It also begins to raise all kinds of interesting questions about economy of scale as well as sustainability too–as in what food choices we make relative to where we live and what food production/systems we support. What about a NC lemon grown in a local green house or hydroponic tomatoes “out of season”–when and how do we add sustainability assessments to making choices, as well as making definitions?
thanks for contributing!!!