Next American City » Columns » Tea Partiers See a Global Conspiracy in Local Planning Efforts.
Next American City » Columns » Tea Partiers See a Global Conspiracy in Local Planning Efforts
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Long Road Indeed
The Colorado cantaloupe crop that’s linked to 84 illnesses and as many as 17 deaths in 19 states has traveled so far and wide that producer Jensen Farms doesn’t even know exactly where their fruit ended up.
The company said last week that it can’t provide a list of retailers that sold the tainted fruit because the melons were sold and resold. It named the 28 states where the fruit was shipped, but people in other states have reported getting sick.
Seems to me that this story (and the organic strawberry story below) point to an uncomfortable truth in our work: We ALSO need to seriously address food safety in every market, in every town so that the chances of any food scare in our system is minimized. We can do it and we should do it.
Another educational opportunity
Mother Jones has an article about how organic strawberries can come from plants that are not organically started. I insert two of the comments here, one that expounds our point of view, and one that does not:
That’s why farmers’ markets are getting so popular. More and more people want to know where their food is coming from. They don’t want to get sick from nasty bacteria or chemicals. The local market where we shop is busy every week, and the growers accept WIC, SNAP, and Senior Nutrition coupons (thus belying the popular right-wing myth that only rich yuppies go to farmers’ markets.)
Yesterday 03:40 PM in reply to
beware … the farmer’s markets AND roadside stands … ask the question … they are often owned by the BIG scale producers … being in a farmer’s market / road side stand … DOES NOT make it organic.
otherwise … yes … buy local … join the best local COOP or Food Share.
Hopefully, our friends in CA farmers markets have their conversational ear ready for this sort of question at their markets. Do you?
Stepping in to help save a market
Great story on a small market in Oregon that was struggling to such an extent that it was about to close- until a market vendor stepped up to manage it. Interestingly, those interviewed seem to think that produce, although vital, needs to be balanced with a whole bunch of other items and educational events to attract and retain a large enough customer base. Sounds like a good track to me, but hey folks I might also look at the size, how space is used, parking and type of events offered already…
And take a look at how neighboring Oregon City Farmers Market manages the balance.
West Linn
Conservation incentives
According to a press release from The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition,
the Conservation Stewardship Program (which is outlined in the link below) offers support to farmers in exchange for better environmental practices, The Conservation Stewardship Program pays farmers for adopting “new conservation enhancements” and actively managing ongoing conservation activities. Those payments are calibrated directly to the environmental benefits derived from specific practices.
Each geographical region has its own unique agricultural challenges, which are addressed in a five-page section of data analysis. The data includes analysis of program participation by geographic region, land use type, commodity type, and the top conservation practices and enhancements chosen by farmers and ranchers who enrolled in the program.
Some of the important issues addressed by the program include water quality, wildlife habitat, soil quality and erosion. In some areas of the country, water conservation and air quality are also important considerations
Read more: More information here
rules on street vending
Using law students to create a framework of smart guidelines is the right thing to do in this case. If we want to encourage small businesses to flourish once again in the US, then we need to allow tiers for different types of businesses. I know most markets are not skirting laws, but wouldn’t it be smart to connect with law students in every region to assist markets too?
call for 2 papers- JAFSCD
(1) Higher Education and Food Systems (deadline: Dec. 1, 2011)
A growing number of colleges and universities are making serious efforts to increase their ecological sustainability through conscious change in very specific aspects of teaching, research, operations, and public engagement. In addition to adopting practices such as LEED certified construction, green cleaning supplies, and sustainability education programming, many are focusing specifically on food- and agriculture-related sustainability issues, including developing local food procurement for their student food services, adopting composting and other food waste management practices, establishing demonstration farms, gardens and CSAs, supporting student food and agriculture groups, and programming in support of public engagement in food and agricultural policy. Many institutions of higher learning now offer food-related courses and academic programs.
Furthermore, the topic of food systems is increasingly found across a broad range of social sciences course curricula and is no longer solely in the arena of agricultural colleges. Progressive colleges and universities are not only in a position to graduate students as who are well informed about the issues and prepared to be food citizens, but also to model reasoned investigation and informed public discussion of issues — and therefore to influence public policy in other aspects of society and the economy.
In this special topic call we invite researchers, administrators, graduate students, NGO staff members, and others to submit manuscripts featuring results of surveys, case studies, policy analyses, review articles, reflective essays, commentaries, and the like in which they examine the ways colleges and universities are pursuing their food system sustainability goals and the extent to which they are finding success.
Examples of topics include:
Survey of campus sustainability coordinators related to best practices in food system–related activities
Focus group of food service directors
Census of student farms and gardens
Survey of student organizations to inventory and assess student-led programs and activities
Comparative analysis of food system curriculum within and across disciplines or institutions
Innovations in programming by institutions of higher education, including private and community colleges in addition to land grant colleges
Comparison of institutional use of local food
Employment prospects for graduates of food system sustainability programs
Analysis of trends in tenure-track positions and funded research
Analysis of food systems education and the liberal arts
The role of higher education social networks related to food and agriculture
Case studies of university-based local food system projects or community-university partnerships
Analysis of food system education curricula and course syllabi
See more details and printable flyers at JAFSCD’s calls for papers.
(2) Sustainable Livelihoods in Food Systems (deadline: February 15, 2012)
Members of the Ojibwe indigenous community harvesting wild rice.While industrialization and globalization of the food system continue to lead to declining numbers of midsized farms and more low-wage employment, emerging regional food systems appear to be creating some new occupational opportunities, including the emergence of green-collar sustainable occupations such as farmer trainers, farm managers, agriculture teaching positions certifiers, and consultants. At the core of regional food system growth, family farms are engaging in producing new crops and cultivating techniques that are entrepreneurial and high risk. Indeed, economics continue to challenge the viability of even the most progressive operation. From a public policy perspective, the growth of sustainable livelihoods in the food system will require fair prices and competitive markets for farmers, fair wages for workers, safe working conditions, and a well-trained workforce.
(Photo: Members of the Ojibwe indigenous community in northern Minnesota harvest wild rice (manoomin) in the traditional manner; learn more at http://www.welrp.org. Photo copyright 2007 by Duncan Hilchey.)
JAFSCD welcomes submissions on a wide range of food system livelihood topics that will inform thinking and practice related to regional food system trends, issues, and public policy. We seek reports of qualitative and quantitative studies, review articles, reflective essays, and commentaries. We encourage submission which focus on Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches (SLA), drawing on diverse disciplinary perspectives and bridging divides, particularly between the natural and social sciences.
Topics of interest might include:
Application of SLA in smallholder farming and local food systems in the Global North and South
Local food livelihood development as a strategy for improved food security
SLA for exploring livelihood options and strategies of different actors within food systems
Emerging or declining farm- and food-related occupations
New skills required in emerging food systems (e.g., line workers in farm-to-school programs)
Occupational data trends and issues in emerging food systems
Small-scale food processing livelihoods
Farmer self-exploitation
Farm worker trends and issues (e.g., regarding migrant labor, guest workers, apprentices, etc.)
Barriers and effective paths for farm workers to become farm owners
Trends and issues for independent grocers and other food retailers
Studies of innovations in microenterprise, entrepreneurship, and occupational education programming
Food, health, and new products and enterprises
Changes to subsistence practices due to globalization
Analysis of foundation, public, and private-sector investment in food systems businesses
Analysis of policies promoting and/or discouraging emerging systems and their implications and effects on local occupations, economics, and health
Emerging livelihoods in sustainable livestock production
See more details and printable flyers at JAFSCD’s calls for papers.
JAFSCD
Disaster planning
What a few months for the natural world in North America. It seems that we are now fully in the next phase of environmental uncertainty and change, and as market organizers, must plan for the eventuality of it coming to us.
Vermont is currently in the grips of the devastation and as a recent visitor, I worry about those farmers and markets that I met while there. I know from experience that the issues they will face over the next few months will be both unique to their place and similar to New Orleans 2005, Iowa 2008 or even the horror of Japan 2011 and so on. Sure we can help and should help, those of us who have seen it, but more importantly:
How can we begin to add some resilience into our organizations so that we can quickly react to our community when they need us? Is funding the top priority after disasters, or is the primary responsibility a series of human responses that offer comfort and solace? And what can be done as a national community of markets to offer help without becoming a FEMA-like casualty of bureaucracy?
Is this a series of audio pieces or maybe even a packet, downloadable for those who are ready to plan?
I am beginning to work on post-disaster planning for markets. If you feel like adding your thoughts, do send me any ideas as they pop up. And good luck to Vermont and to the entire Northeast.
email me at dar wolnik at gmail if you have ideas or details that you want to share.
Grist responds to NYT article, as do some readers..
Grist: too many farmers markets?
Please also see my post below this for my 2 cents…Love to hear some of yours too…
Are there too many markets?
A NYT article in Sunday’s paper reports on (and quotes some of our market leaders) on saturation worries with climbing numbers of markets and cannibalization of shoppers. Of course, its already true in some areas, but in my mind, only if we ignore the fact that, at best, we attract 1-5% of the population right now.
We can increase the number of markets if we continue to direct resources to increasing the number and type of farmers while we seek out groups of new “low-hanging fruit” of the next generation of shoppers.
In short, to improve we need to maintain balance of benefits while reaching new, often slightly less ready shoppers while holding on to our old faithfuls…
Amazing article on actual food costs
I think there are great quotes and information in here for every market, every food system piece of writing you are doing…
Including this quote:
But alas, the gospel that better nutrition means more expense has taken on a life of its own. Everyone has heard it — and so everyone tends to repeat it. Perception becomes reality, so most people simply accept that good nutrition is economically disadvantageous. They then stop trying to eat better and simply propagate the urban legend.
Helping Farmers Markets Grow 