Beyond the Farmers Market So what can you do to support local food economies? The farmers market is a great place to start, but we need to advocate for local food in our stores, schools, restaurants, hospitals and government offices.
We need to harness the purchasing power of these institutions as drivers of local economic development. Another way to make the shift from conscious consumer in your own home to engaged food citizen in your community is to get involved in policy.
From local food policy councils to advocating for local and regional food in the upcoming federal Farm Bill, take this opportunity to learn about the issues and the stakeholders involved. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Community Food Security Coalition are two organizations with plenty of suggestions for ways to get active in the policy arena.
In my book, "Fair Food: Growing a Healthy Sustainable Food System for All," you will find an extensive list of organizations that are ready to help you deepen your engagement as a fair food citizen. We should do everything we can to foster local food economies — nothing short of the health and well-being of our communities is at stake. The original post can be read on Zester Daily Soapbox.
Author: Oran B. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Other popular foods to purchase locally include dairy products, like milk and cheese from cows or goats. Even specialty foods like honey, nut butters or canned foods can often be purchased from local producers. As concerns grow over the sustainability of meat production, many families are choosing to purchase their meats from local producers.
The more steps between you and your food supply, the greater the risk of food contamination. Buying directly from local producers reduces the risk of eating unsafe food. Choosing to purchase locally grown food is an important way to support your local economy, contribute to your community, improve your health and do your part to protect the environment.
Getting involved in the local food system helps us to gain back the separation we created between humans and food production. Because of this, people are looking to repair their detachment from food production and actively learn more about their local food economy. If you make small weekly purchases from local food producers, your money and support can go a long way toward strengthening your local food system.
It's great that you mentioned that buying local food can help support families in your community. My wife and I want to buy some meat. It seems like it would be a good idea for us to find a local market to shop at.
Really very useful information, It is motivating my career. I recommended from your website details everyone read more. KB livestock Farm: kadaknath chicken and chicks for sell. And community gardens have the added bonus of getting to know other environmentally-minded neighbors. System-level impact: Community gardens beautify and unify the neighborhoods where they are located. Volunteering their time to help maintain a community garden allows all residents to experience small-scale planning and activism.
Trade-offs: There is no one ruler of a community garden, and participants may disagree about everything from what to grow to what portion of the crop each member is entitled to. Furthermore, allowing only members to enter may create tension with non-members in the surrounding community.
About: Most vegetarian food scraps can be composted, a process that slowly transforms them into nutritious soil that is ideal for fertilizing gardens and parks. There are composting sites, many of which are supported by the Department of Sanitation, located throughout the city. Many of these sites use the resulting dirt to enrich local parks and community gardens replete with rich soil. People who bring their scraps to a city compost site are, therefore, contributing directly to the local ecology.
Immediate benefits: When a household begins composting, there are immediate benefits they might not even have considered. First of all, home garbage does not smell nearly as bad, because most of the smelliest kitchen waste items can go into the compost. If you have the room, keeping compost scraps in the freezer before taking them to the composting site helps reduce smells. System-level impact: Food waste sent to a landfill releases a huge amount of methane, which is far more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
Piles of non-food garbage cut off the oxygen supply to this waste, creating an environment perfect for methane-emitting anaerobic decomposition.
Composting requires free-flowing oxygen, inviting aerobic decomposition, which does not emit methane. Trade-offs: Each composting site has different rules regarding what types of food scraps they accept. Some accept everything, some accept only fruits and vegetables, and some are even more stringent, not accepting citrus or onions.
Compost is not a guilt-free alternative to a landfill—it is only one way to alleviate the larger problem of food waste. Learn more: Wasted! About: In New York City, residents are allowed to try their hand at more than just gardening.
Beehives must be registered with the Department of Health, and that registration must be renewed each year. Chickens do not need to be registered, but they must be hens. Roosters are not allowed, nor are any other type of poultry including turkeys and ducks.
Immediate benefits: Fresh eggs and honey are the most obvious benefits. Honeybees will pollinate your garden, helping plants produce more seeds. Chickens are omnivorous, and can eat many types of food scraps in addition to their regular feed. System-level impact: As mentioned above, honeybees are incredibly important pollinators in the global ecosystem, and any contribution to the honeybee population will have a positive effect on local plant life.
Trade-offs: Maintaining a beehive or a chicken coop is an immense amount of work and should not be taken lightly. About: The farm-to-table movement has roots at Chez Panisse, an internationally famous restaurant in California established by chef Alice Waters. Food is selected by restaurants straight from farmers, ensuring freshness, seasonality, and flavor.
Many New York restaurants have jumped on the farm-to-table movement, locally sourcing anywhere from a few items to their whole menu. Immediate benefits: The farm-to-table movement is often at the cutting edge of new restaurant and food trends, so customers at these restaurants are exposed to some impressively creative meal options. Menus change with the seasons, so the fare can be quite varied. System-level impact: Farm-to-table restaurants boost the local economy by dealing directly with farmers, rather than working through food distributors.
Farmers are respected for their work, contributing to a better relationship between producers and consumers. Trade-offs: These restaurants tend to be expensive and are often considered places for special occasions rather than daily lunches. About: This Australian challenge was developed as a way for consumers to confront the sources of the foods they already have in their kitchens, and think more critically about the environmental impact of what they eat.
Over a four-week period, participants go through their pantries and seek out sustainable alternatives to their non-locally sourced foods. The boot camp-like approach to sustainable eating is designed to help people learn quickly about where their food comes from.
Week one focuses on reducing food waste by measuring scraps being thrown out and thinking about the disposable packaging included in food purchases. In week two, participants try to find local sources for their favorite fruits and vegetables, or make substitutions as necessary.
Then, in the final week, participants must cook two vegetarian recipes with legumes as the main source of protein. System-level impact: Collectively, the energy saved from not transporting food items by air or car has the potential to be significant. Fourteen percent of the energy expended in the U. Trade-offs: Finding sustainable and local alternatives to common grocery items can be expensive and, depending on the item or location, often impossible.
Participants must be willing to go without certain foods for the duration of the challenge. Food System Fact Sheet. Top Posts Testimony on the Status of
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