Localization and the farmers market

From CFI

Nourish By John Sipila

It’s a beautiful word, in the dictionary it’s synonymous with cherish, feed, sustain, nurture.

How do we as a people create a culture and in the context of food and farmers’ markets, a food system that is more sustainable and that nourishes our bodies and our collective body, our culture? I think the only place we can really start is within our own minds. If you don’t recognize something is amiss, you have no reason to change anything. I challenge you to look around. The cracks in the system are there for the viewing if we dare to look.

Locally we are fortunate to have a somewhat intact community of caring, that surfaces readily when crisis or needs appear. The global story of energy and resource depletion, (i.e. no local salmon season) and the larger picture of climate change invites you to understand the story of our food. When we look beyond our plate, we begin to consider the whole – the people, places and processes that stretch from seed to table. If we choose a more sustainable path, we’ll create a healthier world.

Eating locally grown food reduces the carbon footprint as it travels far less miles to get from farm to your table. Eating food grown close to home also supports a vital local economy and keeps local farmland in production preserving our beautiful agricultural open spaces. Farmers markets make connections between producers and consumers to help create a system where what we eat locally is what we grow locally, which hopefully ensures a secure and sustainable food system. The farmers market brings us together and deepens community bonds. And where else but your own garden can you get such fresh and nutritious food?

Our world is so fast paced, why not slow down enough to better understand our choices. Nourish your inquiry. Food should be a very intimate relationship, it remakes us every day. Try to see big pictures, vote with your dollars for healthy families and that larger family you are a member of, your community. Vote with your fork.

If you are computer active and care about these issues, a deeper look can be found at www.goworldlink.org. Check out their Nourish Initiative.