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?
Study debunks myths on organic farms
Let’s remember that its our job to spread the environmental message of good farming.
Watch Two Heartbreaking Videos About Upstate Farmers Affected by Irene
Watch Two Heartbreaking Videos About Upstate Farmers Affected by Irene.
Thanks to Kelly Verel of Projects for Public Spaces for sharing this link.
Oh, yeah-let’s remember to save the farmland…
The very idea that stories in relatively mainstream publications cover farmland issues is a testament to many organizers. However, the land keeps disappearing….
Northeast farmers warn of Irene pumpkin shortage
Northeast farmers warn of Irene pumpkin shortage.
Everywhere I go, I mention some of the shortages we can expect from natural disasters this year. It seems almost every time, people are surprised. How soon we forget…
So, it remains an important piece of work for market organizers to remember to continue to tell the story, long after the farmer may be tired of another shopper saying,”Why no pumpkins?”
Have you registered for the CFSC conference?
The 2011 Oakland Conference is coming up quickly. Looks like a good one…
Time Banking for Markets?
Next week, citizens in New Orleans will hold their first Time Banking informational meeting. For those new to the idea:
here are hundreds of TimeBanks around the world. TimeBanking is based on the belief that our communities work better when all of our contributions are valued. It rejects the notion that we belong in separate classes of “givers” and “receivers” and establishes a way to reward all types of work — caring for our children, elders, and others who need it, building community, helping out our neighbors.
TimeBanking is about spending an hour doing something for somebody in your community. That hour is counted as a TimeBank Hour that you can spend on having someone in the network do something for you. You earn TimeBank Hours for each service you perform. Instead of members “owing” the one person who helped them individually, we can choose to give and receive the many talents and skills of all the members.
TimeBanking connects you to the best in people because it creates a system that connects unmet needs with untapped resources. It provides ways for us all to contribute and benefit.
Timebanking can be a very effective way to bridge gaps across different demographics, bring people together as a community, build a resource base to solve problems or realize dreams, connect people with needed goods and services, and give people a way to feel valued and do what they like to do.
This seems like a natural fit for a market to take on for their own community or maybe even for the larger community they reside in. Anyone out there who has a Time Bank in their market, do let me know…
And for those who want more information, check out:timebanks.org
No time to hide your head…
Good news for champions of wild-caught seafood. The latest news on turtle-excluder devices (TEDs) shows a 90% drop in turtle deaths. This shows the importance of environmentalists and fishing families working together to solve problems rather than pointing fingers. “Our findings show that there are effective tools available for policy makers and fishing industries to reduce sea turtle bycatch, as long as they are implemented properly and consistently.” said Elena Finkbeiner, lead author of the report. Duke University and Conservational International worked together to analzye turtle bycatch data compiled by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
While at marketumbrella.org, I produced a series of films called “Go Fish” that showed innovation among fishers and markets. The one on bycatch reduction devices (BYRDs) is very useful for any market or direct-marketing fisher. All are found on their YouTube channel:
Go Fish
Santa Rosa dispute
Wow. This article gives some information on a dispute between vendors and management at a California market that has, sadly, gone to court. The article (which certainly needs more information from both sides) and the ensuing comments show that this issue has been coming for a while in this community.
Long ago, when I was learning non-profit management, I proudly related to my supervisor at the end of the day just how I had stopped an argument between 2 senior staff while the entire staff was driving to a site. I expected congratulations, but instead my excellent boss said to me: “Well, I’m glad you stopped it, but I would expect you to have seen the argument escalating long BEFORE that point and steered the conversation and tone to other directions before it got to inflammatory words that now everyone remembers throughout their day. So, next time plan ahead and try to orchestrate good interactions from the beginning. It’s your job to give everyone the best chance to succeed at their job and that also means reducing tensions that are unnecessary.”
Good advice still.
Local materials and expertise for farmers market shed
This shed was designed by architectural students at Virginia Tech, School of Architecture + Design seems to meet many of the requirements that open-air farmers markets should have for any facility-simple, properly scaled, used local materials…
Although this next line makes me wonder what fumes they were inhaling from the materials while building:
This market pavilion is the modern expression of timeless agrarian sensibilities.
Hey kids-it’s a roof.
Still, I like it and applaud the collaborative effort. Now, if they could get some farmers…
Shed design
Helping Farmers Markets Grow 