Switching to just
of our diet from longdistance to locally grownreduces our carbon footprint by more than all recyclables combined.
25 percent
—Leda Meredith, Locavore
introduction current state
chapter 1 basic initiatives
chapter 2 education
chapter 3 food waste
chapter 4 sense of community
chapter 5
end notes
our food system
chapter 6
bibliography
local & state
conclusion peas in a pod
1
8
18
24
34
42
52
60
table of contents
introduction current state
The United States food system has changed substantially over the last fifty years due to a variety of circumstances including the globalization and centralization of the food industry as well as the concentration of the food supply onto fewer, larger suppliers.
In his essay “Food Democracy,” Brian Halweil states that half of
the food items in a typical supermarket are produced by no more
than 10 multinational food and beverage companies. The majority of
food consumed today passes through a complex, indirect network
of a few large, centralized producers, processors, transporters and
distributors before reaching the consumer.
An additional change in the food system is the ever increasing
trend of these multinational firms sourcing food from outside
national boundaries in order to provide consistent products at very
low prices.
The development of global food transport systems has resulted in
higher consumer expectations. Consumers now have the ability to
choose from a wide variety of food items, regardless of the season
or their location, all at a low price. The ability to enjoy consistent
produce and exotic ingredients at all times of the year is a luxury
that has its price. The farther food travels, the more freshness
declines and the more nutrients are lost. Many fruits and veg-
etables are engineered for a long shelf life, sacrificing taste and
nutrition for its long-term preservation.
As large multinational companies gain control over the food indus-
try, small local farmers suffer. Since 1979, 300,000 farmers have
gone out of business and those remaining are receiving 13 percent
less for every consumer dollar for farm goods. 2
Changes in the food system have resulted in a broad range of
social, economic and environmental implications. There are those
that strive for change ("locavores") and do what they can to live
more sustainably, there are those that simply do not care, and
there are those that simply do not have a choice due to geographi-
cal and/or financial restrictions.
2 3 between farm & table: current state
A Locavore is someone who exclusively eats foods from
their local or regional food shed or a determined radius
from their home (commonly either 100 or 250 miles,
depending on location). By eating locally, most locavores
hope to create a greater connection between them-
selves and their food sources, resist industrialized and
processed foods, and support their local economy. The
majority of locavores do not give themselves a strict
radius from which to eat, but instead buy as much of
their food as they can from farmers, growers, and sellers
with whom they have a relationship or whose producing
practices they want to support.
Many locavores give themselves several exceptions to
their local diet. Commonly excluded items include coffee,
chocolate, salt, and/or spices—although locavores tend
to try and find local coffee roasters, chocolate producers,
and spice importers when they can.4 To the right are tips
on how to lead a more locavorous lifestyle.
Local food or the local food movement is a “collaborative
effort to build more locally based and self-reliant food
economies—one in which sustainable food production,
processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to
enhance the economic, environmental and social health
of a particular place” and is considered to be a part of the
broader sustainability movement. It is part of the concept
of local purchasing and local economies, a preference to
buy locally produced goods and services. Those who
prefer to eat locally grown/produced food sometimes
call themselves locavores or localvores.3 Locavores are
given the stereotype of being “rich, white folk” due to
the misconception of local produce costing more money
than the average grocery store produce, an issue that is
addressed later on in this book.
Locavores
Local Food Phenomenon
Go OutMany restaurants now emphasize local foods in their dishes. Ask around, you might be surprised how many options you find that serve up local flavor.
Feed The FreezerCan’t cook every night? Worried about your fresh produce going bad? It’s easy. Make lasagna with local tomatoes or a soup packed with fresh veggies and freeze it! You can also make personal size meals for a brown bag lunch.
Branch OutMaybe your usual food repertoire could use some fresh ideas. The farm-ers’ market provides a perfect chance to try a new ingredient when it’s in season, and lets you talk to its grower to find out the best way to prepare your new food. Flirt with your food producer! Get some new recipes.5
4 5 between farm & table: current state
At the other end of the spectrum, there exists what are
called ‘food deserts.’ A food desert is a district with little
or no access to foods needed to maintain a healthy diet
but often served by plenty of fast food restaurants. These
are areas where fresh, healthy food is not accessible.
The concept of ‘access’ may be interpreted in one of
three ways.
PHYSICAL ACCESS to shops can be difficult if the shops
are distant, the shopper is elderly or infirm, the area has
many hills, public transport links are poor, and the con-
sumer has no car. Also, the shop may be across a busy
road, difficult to cross with children or with underpasses
that some fear to use because of a crime risk. For some,
such as disabled people, the inside of the shop may be
hard to access physically if there are steps up or the inte-
rior is cramped with no room for walking aids. Carrying
fresh food home may also be hard for some.
FINANCIAL ACCESS is difficult if the consumer lacks the
money to buy healthful foods (generally more expensive,
calorie for calorie, than less healthful, sugary, and fatty
‘junk foods’) or if the shopper cannot afford the bus fare
to remote shops selling fresh foods and instead uses
local fast food outlets. Other forms of financial access
barriers may be the inability to afford storage space for
food, or for low-income families, living in temporary hous-
ing that does not offer good cooking facilities.
MENTAL ATTITUDE or food knowledge of the consumer
may prevent them from accessing fresh vegetables. They
may lack cooking knowledge or have the idea that eating
a healthful diet isn’t important. In some urban areas,
grocery stores have withdrawn alongside residents that
have fled to the suburbs. Low income earners and senior
citizens who remain find healthy foods either unavailable
or inaccessible as a result of high prices and/or unreach-
able locations.6
Food Deserts
6 7 between farm & table: current state
As result of the current food system and the presence
of food deserts, America’s overall health has suffered
greatly. The number of overweight people in the USA had
increased by 60 percent in the last twenty years. Also,
the number of obese children had tripled in the last thirty
years. But just what is obesity? Well, when a man’s body
fat is over 25 percent he is obese and when a woman’s
body fat reaches over 30 percent she is obese. The fact is
that America is the fattest country in the world because
the percentage of overweight people in the USA has
steadily increased since the 1960’s.
The surveys from the CDC are showing that only 33
percent of adults eat the recommended amount of fruit
while only 27 percent eat the recommended amount of
vegetables. But wait, the statistics get worse for high
school students, only 32 percent eat the recommended
amount of fruit and a measly 13 percent meet the goal
for vegetables.
Low-income Americans now would have to spend up to
70 percent of their food budget on fruits and vegetables
to meet new national dietary guidelines for healthy eating
and a second study found that in rural areas, convenience
stores far outnumber supermarkets and grocery stores
even though the latter carry a much wider choice of
affordable, healthy foods.7
As a country, we are only failing ourselves by filling our
bodies with all of this overly processed junk food that
lacks any nutritional value. Our government is also failing
us but not providing us with the right resources so that
everyone can have to option to eat fresh, nutritional food.
Fresh food is a right, not a privilege.
Health and Income
...a second study
found that in rural
areas, convenience
stores far outnumber
supermarkets and
grocery stores even
though the latter
carry a much wider
choice of affordable,
healthy foods.
So what?All of these varying factors are issues that exist
within today’s society. From the ‘haves’ to the
‘have-not’s we are a country with a very big food
problem. This is not an ‘elitists’ problem to solve,
nor is it correct to believe that just because people
are unable to afford fresh, local produce, that they
don’t care. In fact, they do. There are so many
factors that people are faced with today, especially
those living off of low-income salaries that are
forced to penny-pinch every food-related decision.
Who would have ever thought that in the land of
plenty, we would one day have to be concerned
about where our food is actually coming from.
Similarly to everything else we do as humans, we
have taken things too far. The Industrial Revolution
is a definite thing of the past, and while it brought
great change and endless possibilities, it’s repercus-
sions are overwhelming. For some reason we must
always strive for bigger and better, which is what
we have done to our food system. We are now in
way over our heads and it is now up to us to figure
out what to do about it.
The subject of this book is not to just talk about
the joys of spending a Saturday afternoon at the
farmers' market or preaching the 100-mile diet. The
purpose of this book is to take a step back and see
the big picture. How can the ‘eat local’ phenomenon
touch all social classes and communities within our
country? What can we do as a unit to make changes
that will in fact make a difference, a big difference
that will be noticed by generations to come. It’s
time to get our hands dirty, to educate ourselves on
what it means to be self-sufficient and to realize the
true meaning of a green thumb.
Living in a deep recession with environmental problems that threaten our continued comfort on this planet, “voting with our dollars” is simply not enough. In order to truly transform our food system from a water and gas-guzzling industrial monoculture into a more sustainable and humane polyculture, it is necessary to leverage the full range and force of private and public activity.
We are currently witnessing a tipping point. Our economy, our health
and our environment cannot sustain continued topsoil loss, diminishing
fresh water reserves, antibiotic resistant superbugs, toxic runoff (from
the use of pesticides and fertilizers) into our waterways, rain-forests
being destroyed to make way for food production, and the massive
amounts of fossil fuels being used in large-scale farming. In fact, with
an estimated 50 short years of oil left, and demand only growing, we
must change our ways now.8
So what does that mean? What can we do?
chapter 1 basic initiatives
10 11 between farm & table: basic initiatives
Food grown close to home requires less fuel and other
resources to get to your grocery store. Eating local is
also a good way to support your local economy because
you buy products produced by farmers who live in your
area. COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA)
is a great way to make supporting nearby growers easier
through home delivery options.9
Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture
has become a popular way for consumers to buy local,
seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics:
a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the
public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables.
Interested consumers purchase a share, which is con-
sidered a “membership” or a “subscription,” and in return
receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout
the farming season. It’s a simple enough idea, but its
impact has been profound. Tens of thousands of families
have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country there
is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. To find
your nearest CSA, go to LOCALHARVEST.COM which
has the most comprehensive directory of CSA farms,
with over 2,500 listed in their grassroots database.10
Communal Support
CSA Advantages
Advantages For FarmerFarmers get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16-hour days in the field begin.
Farmers receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm’s overall cash flow.
Farmers have the opportunity to get to know their consumers first-hand.
Consumers get to eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits.
Consumers are exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking.
Visitation access to the farm at least once a season is granted.
Consumers are able to develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how the food is treated.
Advantages For Consumer
American Farmers onaverage receive only
20 centsof each dollar spent on produce by customers.The rest is spent onprocessing, packaging,and transportation.
—John Ikerd, Eating Local: A Matter of Integrity
between farm & table: basic initiatives
Farmers’ markets are one of the oldest forms of direct
marketing by small farmers. From the traditional “mer-
cados” in the Peruvian Andes to the street markets in
Asia, growers all over the world gather weekly to sell
their produce directly to the public. In the last decade
they have become a favorite marketing method for
farmers throughout the United States, and a weekly
ritual for many local shoppers.
In a farmers’ market, a group of farmers sell their prod-
ucts once or twice a week at a designated public place
like a parking lot or large warehouse. Farmers’ markets
often feature produce grown NATURALLY or ORGANI-
CALLY, meats that are raised humanely on pasture,
handmade farmstead cheeses, eggs and poultry from
free-range fowl, as well as heirloom produce and heri-
tage breeds of meat and fowl. In many countries with
strict food safety laws, farmers’ markets can be one of
the few places beyond the farm gate to purchase raw
food, such as raw milk. Some farmers’ markets even
provide live entertainment. Shopping at a local farmers’
market is a great way to meet local farmers and get
fresh, flavorful produce at its seasonal peak.11
Farmers’ Markets
Shopping at a
farmers’ market is
a great way to meet
local farmers and
get fresh, f lavorful
produce at its
seasonal peak
14 15
Urban agriculture is the practice of cultivating, process-
ing and distributing food in, or around a village, town
or city. Urban agriculture in addition can also involve
animal husbandry, aquaculture and horticulture. These
activities also occur in peri-urban areas as well.
Urban agriculture contributes to food security and food
safety in two ways: first, it increases the amount of
food available to people living in cities, and, second, it
allows fresh vegetables and fruits and meat products to
be made available to urban consumers. A common and
efficient form of urban agriculture is the biointensive
method. Because urban agriculture promotes energy-
saving local food production, urban and peri-urban
agriculture are generally seen as sustainable practices.12
The mission of urban farming and agriculture is to cre-
ate an abundance of food for people in need by planting
gardens on unused land and space while increasing
diversity, educating youth, adults and seniors and pro-
viding an environmentally sustainable system to uplift
communities. Urban farms are a great way for commu-
nities to join together and learn how to grow their own
food, which is a great option for lower-income families.
Urban farms are popping up all over the place. To find
an urban farm near you, simply go to urbanfarmonline.
com. Below are several existing urban farms worth
taking a look at.
Urban Agriculture
CITY SLICKER FARMS www.littlecitygardens.com
GROWING POWER www.growingpower.org
LITTLE CITY GARDENS www.littlecitygardens.com
between farm & table: basic initiatives16 17
crustless pumpkin pie
15 oz. pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp brandy
3/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch of freshly ground cloves
cream:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsps packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger (freshly grated is good)
1 tsp brandy
reci
pe
co
lle
ctio
n: f
all
Urgent change is desperately needed within agricultural education. Some change is already happening, but there is need for action in par-ticular directions. The change needed today is a re-focusing on the curriculum and student experience so the farmers of tomorrow will have the skills as well as the expertise to meet the needs of a changing and sustainable world.
Students of the 21st century differ from those of the last century in
many ways, including a demographic change: fewer come from farm
or rural backgrounds. Today, well under 5 percent of the U.S. population
live on farms and barely 20 percent come from rural communities. The
increasingly urban and suburban population poses a particular chal-
lenge for agriculture in that students often lack even basic awareness
of agricultural sciences.
Public understanding of agriculture is poor, and many people are barely
aware of where their food comes from. Their lack of awareness of
agricultural products is coupled with an outdated view of agriculture.
One challenge for attracting young people to agricultural sciences is to
overcome the public perception that agriculture strictly means farming
because agriculture incorporates a wide array of approaches.13
chapter 2 education
In early America, settlers were totally dependent upon
their food source. If they produced their own food,
they knew how to grow it, where to sell it, and how
to process and preserve it so that it remained safe for
consumption. If they did not produce their own food,
they knew where to find the most reliable source, both
in quality and quantity. They knew because their lives
depended upon this knowledge.
Although most agriculturalists would argue that little
has changed in our dependency upon a reliable source
of quality food, most would also agree that the vast
majority of Americans know very little about today’s
food system. Simply put, the majority of Americans
seem to be agriculturally illiterate.
Webster defines literacy as being knowledgeable in
a particular subject or field, in this case, agriculture.
Webster defines education as the process of develop-
ing that knowledge. If we accept those definitions,
what we do in agricultural education at the middle and
secondary levels is to develop students into agricultur-
ally literate citizens. If so, agricultural education equals
agricultural literacy. However, the agricultural educa-
tion profession has been slow to embrace agricultural
education as an agricultural literacy program.
Research indicates conflicting results in the level of
agricultural literacy. Rural students, despite their back-
grounds, lack understanding of agricultural concepts
concerning food products.
The REINVENTING AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
program for the Year 2020 clearly indicates that not
only should agricultural literacy be part of every
student’s education from kindergarten through high
school, and beyond, but also that agricultural education
must serve as the torchbearer in that effort. However,
many would argue that we fall far short of accomplish-
ing that goal— at the elementary, secondary, and post-
secondary levels.14
agricultural illiteracy
Simply put,
the majority
of Americans
seem to be
agriculturally
illiterate.
20 21 between farm & table: education
There are several potential oppor-tunities in this area, schools could first of all begin incorporating agricultural studies into student’s mandatory curriculum as well as after-school programs and clubs. Schools and community centers could also provide outside classes for adults, especially if they have access to a garden or nearby farm.
GAME PLAN One way to accomplish this is by creating toolkits
for the students, especially in the elementary years. These kits
can be used both at school and at home, where students can
share with their families, information on how to lead a more
sustainable lifestyle. Toolkits would include:
• How-To Books for Gardening and Composting
• Top Ten Ways To Be More Green
• Variety of Seed Packages and Starter “Soil”
• Lists of Local Businesses and Farmers’ Markets
Let me guess. You’re concerned about the environment. You recycle, buy the right light bulbs, drink from a re-usable water bottle, preferably one made of metal, and wish you could afford a hybrid. You always try to remember your re-usable shopping bags when you go to the market and feel guilty when you don’t. Sound about right?
One of the things that we are not doing is minimizing our food
waste. If you buy it and bring it home, eat it. That alone is one of
the easiest ways to aid the environment.
About 40 percent of the food produced in the United States isn’t
consumed. Every day Americans waste enough food to fill the Rose
Bowl. And our national food waste habit is on the upswing: We
waste 50 percent more food today than we did in 1974.
Squandering so much of what we grow doesn’t just waste food; it
also wastes the fossil fuel that went into growing, processing, trans-
porting and refrigerating it. A recent study estimated conservatively
that 2 percent of all U.S. energy consumption went to producing food
that was never eaten. To give you a sense of perspective, every year,
through uneaten food, we waste 70 times the amount of oil that
gushed into the Gulf of Mexico during the three months of the Deep-
water Horizon spill.
That waste of resources continues even after we throw away food.
There is the energy required to haul the discarded food to the landfill.
And once there, food decomposes and creates methane, a green-
house gas 23 times more potent a heat trapper than carbon dioxide.
Landfills are the second-largest human-related source of methane
emissions, and rotting food causes the majority of methane there.
It’s climate change coming directly from your kitchen.15
chapter 3 food waste
between farm & table: food waste
It’s tough to really point the finger at anyone about this
issue since it seems like everybody is taking part in
making this a huge issue, but the commercial and retail
food industry are massive producers of food waste.
This includes restaurants, conveniences/grocery stores
and food suppliers.
Some of the main ways that food can be lost prior
to even getting to our homes include discarding of
imperfect foods, transportation and strange unwritten
rules. WHO EVER SAID THAT ALL THE EXTRA FOOD
A RESTAURANT MAKES OR NEARLY EXPIRED
FOOD AT GROCERY STORE HAS TO BE TOSSED IN
THE TRASH? This goes back to strange “rules” that
many food businesses follow that force them to throw
these items away. It's an absurd practice and with all of
the starving people that exist in this country, it simply
cannot continue in this manner.
Biggest Culprits
28 29
(serves 6) 14-day sweet pickles
3 1/2 qts pickling cucumbers (about 4 lbs)
1 c. coarse flake pickling salt
2 qts boiling water
1/2 tsp powdered alum
5 c. vinegar
3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp celery seeds
4 2” cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 c. sugar
reci
pe
co
lle
ctio
n: s
um
me
r
of the food produced in the United States is notconsumed. We waste 50 percent more food today than we did in 1974.
40 percent
—Jonathan Bloom, Stop Wasting Food
Food rescue does not involve superheroes in capes. Also called food recovery, it is the practice of retrieving edible food that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it to those in need. In most cases, the recovered food is perfectly edible, but not saleable. For example, it’s day old bread or bagged lettuce past its “sell-by” date. Often, it’s in great condition and to throw it away would be a waste.
GAME PLAN In order to get the word out to the public as
well as local businesses, a lot of promotional work needs to
be created to get our message out there such as:
• a website www.dontwastefood.com
• Food/Promo Truck for Pick-ups
• Insert in Sunday Newspapers
• Refrigerator Magnet
• Social Media Promo
A community may be defined as a group of people who share a common vision for their preferred future. Without some shared vision or sense of common purpose, there is no com-mon commitment to keep people working or living together.
Communities may be either virtual communities of interests or physi-
cal communities of place. To sustain communities of place, people
with common interests must also have a purpose for choosing to
live and work in a particular place. Otherwise, the people who share
common interests will simply move to places better suited to their
purpose, and then the sense of community is never found within
those left behind.16
chapter 4 community
between farm & table: community
Perhaps no sustainable community development initia-
tive is more important than is the development of local,
community-based food systems. For many American
communities, land is the still most important natural
resource linking people to place, and agricultural land
provides both a purpose for and possibility of sustain-
ing people in a particular place. Sustainability does not
suggest a return to natural resource based economies
or societies. However, by linking economic and socio-
cultural development to geographically fixed resources,
sustainable connections are established among people,
purpose, and place. Location-specific resources of
economic value also include topography, landscapes,
and climate, as well as land that can support community
based food systems. Sustainable, community based
food systems have the unique advantage of providing
dependable access to the nourishment necessary to
sustain the physical health of a community while at the
same time nurturing social relationships, protecting the
environment, conserving natural resources and anchor-
ing the local economy.
Sustainable communities must be built on a different
conceptual foundation than the natural resource com-
munities of the past and industrial communities of the
present. Sooner or later, we must confront the fact that
development driven solely by the economic bottom line,
quite simply, is not sustainable. This lack of sustain-
ability is a matter of science and reason, as it is derived
from the most fundamental laws of science. Sustain-
ability ultimately is a question of energy use. Everything
that is of use to humanity—our houses, clothes, food—
requires energy. And equally important, the usefulness
of human energy is a product of society. We are not
born as productive individuals but as helpless babies.
We have to be nurtured, socialized, and educated by
society before we are capable of being of economic use
to society.16
People & Place
For many American
communities, land
is still the most
important natural
resource linking
people to place.
36 37
stone soup
1 stone, big enough that it won’t get lost in the soup (quartz is a good choice because it won’t break down in cooking)
1 tbsp. butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped fine
1 large carrot, cut into coins
3 medium red-skinned potatoes (unpeeled, and cut into halves)
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 large garlic clove, pressed
6 cups chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, diced large
1 medium yellow squash, diced large
1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 cups cooked tubettini or ditalini, or other pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
reci
pe
co
lle
ctio
n: w
inte
r
Most people are in the dark about how to get involved in this 'local' food phenomenon. The concept of community festivals needs to take place. Unlike Farmers' Markets, the community festivals would be held once during each of the four seasons, in various neighborhoods throughout the city. It would help to advertise local farms as well as local businesses and organizations that truly need the support of the local community.
GAME PLAN The community festival is a communication
venue for local farmers/businesses to come together to get
their names out to the community. Materials needed:
• Promotional Ads (web)
• Tote Bags (re-usable)
• Information packets (listings of local businesses,
farmers and organizations
• Demonstrations (cooking, composting,
DIY gardening)
Today’s monthly visit to Costco scarcely resembles our grandmother’s daily trip to the butcher, baker or corner shop. During the second half of the last century, a so-called Green Revolution has been underway. This revolution has changed the way our food is produced, distributed and marketed, and, in most cases, not for the better.
This new ‘revolution’ has greatly increased the prevalence of chemical
pesticides and fertilizers, genetically-modified organisms, industrial
agriculture, and global food distribution which has created a pretty
dysfunctional system that cannot provide for future generations.
And then there are economic and access issues. Processed, junk food
is so cheap that healthy, farm-fresh food has become a luxury item.
Many people have been raised on basic, commoditized foods (think
broccoli, carrots, baked potatoes...) that they don’t even know how to
shop for or cook diverse fruits and vegetables. Others may want to
buy local, organic foods but don’t have geographic or financial access.
Wholesalers share this access problem where they lack the simple
tools to track availability and place orders.17
SOUNDS PRETTY DISMAL, DOESN’T IT? Well it is.
chapter 5 our food system
between farm & table: our food system
According to the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part
of the Department of Health and Human Services, food “deserts are areas
that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk,
and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet.” The USDA (United
States Department of Agriculture) has a map, or atlas, depicting food choices
and demographics of the u.s. by county.18
food deserts in the US
23.5 MILLIONAMERICANS INCLUDING
6.5 MILLION
CHILDREN
Source: Your Food Environment Atlas
44 45
CURRENTLY LIVE IN FOOD DESERTS
Facts About Food Deserts
5.7 percent of households in the U.S. do not have access to fresh, nutritional food.
Food prices are 10 percent lower at supermarkets than at smaller conve-nience stores.
Food eaten at restaurants is less afford-able due to its higher per unit cost rela-tive to foodstores.
Supermarkets are more accessible to ethnic and racial minorities than they are for whites.
Between 2.3-5.5 percent of all house-holds may be outside of a walking dis-tance to a supermarket and lack access to a vehicle.
Overall, 0.9 million households do not have access to a vehicle and live in low-income areas more than a mile from a supermarket. This represents 3.6 per-cent of all households in low-income areas.
If you design for food & food systems, youwill inevitably addressall considerations that are needed to create
workable communities.
—Carolyn Steel, Hungry City
sustainable
between farm & table: our food system
Grocery stores play a crucial role in our rural communi-
ties, providing vital sources of nutrition, jobs and tax
revenue that support the community. Moreover, rural
grocery stores are also economic drivers, community
builders and meeting places for locals.
They are, however, slowly disappearing—forcing
residents to leave their communities to purchase food,
often at great expense and over great distance. Across
rural America, 803 counties are classified as “food
deserts” where all the county residents are at least 10
miles from a full-service grocery store. The Great Plains
has the highest concentration of food desert counties,
with 418.
SO WHY DO THEY LEAVE?
Many reasons conspire to leave a community without
a grocery store. Declining populations mean that a
number of rural communities are without an adequate
customer base for a local store. A certain population
is needed to maintain a grocery store. In 2000, the
average population needed to maintain a grocery store
was 2,843. By 2005 the necessary population had
risen to 3,252. While the minimum needed population
is increasing, most rural communities and counties are
decreasing in population. Rural grocery stores, there-
fore, are fighting larger rural demographic trends.
Over time, large corporate hypermarkets, such as
Walmart and Target, have began to take notice of these
food deserts, and have recently begun to take initiative
on contributing to the depletion of them. These are
the same superstores that have been reamed in the
past for bad practices. However, this new initiative is
definitely cause for us to take a new look. If we can
get these superstores to collaborate with our small
number of existing rural grocery stores, great things
could happen.19
Rural Grocery Stores
Across rural
America, 803
counties are
classified as
Food Deserts..
48 49
Currently, Michelle Obama is campaigning to get rid of food deserts all together within a seven year time-span.
Establishing large superstore chains into these food deserts isn't enough, it is vital that these locations create a relationship with the local city producers/businesses so that the city’s community may prosper rather than just adding more dollar bills into the corporate pocket.
GAME PLAN: To develop a nationwide organization that
represents local farmers within corporate grocery stores,
supermarkets and hypermarkets. This organization will be
responsible for:
• Branding Local Produce
• Providing high-quality SEASONAL
produce with discounts
• Providing customers with recipe cards/
inspiration for best methods of prep
With all of this talk about eating locally and agriculture as whole, one of the greatest mysteries of today's food system is the U.S. Farm Bill. So many people are unaware of this policy's role and overwhelming control over the decisions that are made with regard to our current food system.
The Farm Bill defines the federal government’s role in the agricultural
market, provides different types of government subsidies (or funding)
to farmers, and has been widely criticized for benefiting mostly large
industrial farms while doing little to help small family farms.
Several government subsidies help factory farms profit by allowing
them to keep costs and, therefore, prices low. The Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides payments and
technical assistance for improving environmental quality and conser-
vation practices on agricultural lands, currently lists the reduction of
industrial farm contamination as one of their top priorities. More than
50 percent ($9 billion) of the Farm Bill’s conservation fund is spent
on EQIP. In other words, your tax money is being used to help clean
up massive amounts of pollution that large industrial farms create,
holding corporations unaccountable which allows them to spend their
profits elsewhere.20
There are numerous issues with regard to the Farm Bill, issues that
are the cause for corruption in our current food system. While we
cannot change these policies tomorrow, we can take a stand to help
change these policies in the future.
chapter 6 local & state
between farm & table: local & state
By having local control of food allows communities to
participate in making decisions about their food supply.
Urban and rural communities have a better ability to
make sure that food production, distribution, and
marketing are carried out in ways that are healthy for
the local economy and the environment. Strong local
influence over food and agriculture ensures that relevant
policies are determined by public interest, not corporate
profits. To meet the unique needs of a community, local
jurisdictions should have unique standards differing
from state or federal laws.
The local control of our food supply helps secure the
health and welfare of communities. Local authority
strengthens democracy and gives citizens a more direct
stake in a healthy future.
LOCAL CONTROL OF OUR FOOD IMPROVES:
HEALTH With greater local control, we are able to build
food systems that improve community health. We can
select foods and ingredients based on the qualities of
flavor, freshness, and nourishment instead of factors
favoring short -term shareholder profits.
FOOD SECURITY When communities manage their
food systems, they are better able to create a healthy,
affordable, and stable food supply. In this way, the needs
of marginalized segments of the community are met.
Conversely, large food manufacturers and retailers inad-
vertently yet systemically compromise community food
security. For example, they encourage (A) global-scale
food distribution systems that are subject to disruption;
(B) large-scale, chemical-intensive, monocultural produc-
tion; and (C) store closures in low income communities
where profits are not as high.
Local Control
54 55
LOCAL ECONOMIES Local control makes it easier
to create an economic environment that fosters
locally owned and operated food and agricultural
businesses. This keeps more money cycling in the
local economy. When stores source food and other
products locally, even more money is returned to
the local community.
ENVIRONMENT Food that is locally produced and
sold typically comes from small and mid-scale,
sustainable farms. Creating stronger ties between
communities and their local food systems fosters a
connection to the land and better protects nature.
One of the biggest benefits is a significant reduc-
tion in long-distance transport, a leading consumer
of fossil fuels and contributor to climate change.
COMMUNITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Local
food systems build community as well as develop
regional identity and character. They provide much
more meaningful livelihoods for food and agriculture
workers, encourage community interaction, and
build respectful relationships amongst patrons.21
between farm & table: local & state
Right now the price we payfor conventionally grown foodis unbelievably low, and doesnot take into account the realcost of producing that food.That’s why organically grown food seems expensive. It’s not expensive actually; it’s that it’s not being subsidized.
56 57
—Willow Rosenthal, City Slicker Farms
So that’s the first thing we can do on a larger scale—
what’s going on with the Farm Bill and get some equity there.
influence
blueberry muffin skillet cake
2 2/3 cup of flour (I use half whole wheat flour)
1 tblsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of sugar (double this for sweeter muffins)
zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup + 2 tlsp of room temperature buttermilk (or regular milk or cream)
3/4 cup melted coconut oil, unsalted butter
1 1/2 – 2 cups berries (fresh or frozen)
reci
pe
co
lle
ctio
n: s
pri
ng
Food Policy Councils convene citizens and government officials for the purpose of providing a comprehensive examination of a state or local food system. This unique, non-partisan form of civic engagement brings together a diverse array of food system stakeholders to develop a sustainable solution to food and ag policy.
GAME PLAN: To establish forums within local communities
where residents can discuss the current issues with regard to
sustainability and local farms/gardens/food.
• Weekly Newsletter
• Website
• Place of Establishment for forums
At its roots sustainable agriculture benefits the local community and local economy while supporting the environment by enriching the soil, protecting air and water quality, and minimizing energy consumption. Industrial food production is entirely too dependent on fossil fuels, which, when refined and burned, create greenhouse gases that are significant contributors to climate change.
By adding transportation, processing and packaging to the food
system equation, the fossil fuel and energy use of our current food
system puts tremendous stress on the environment. Food processors
also use a large amount of paper and plastic packaging to keep fresh
food from spoiling as it is transported and stored for long periods of
time. This packaging is difficult or impossible to reuse or recycle. In
addition, industrial farms are a major source of air and water pollution.
Small, local farms run by environmentally-conscious farmers live
on their land and work hard to preserve it. They protect open spaces
by keeping land in agricultural use and preserve natural habitats by
maintaining forest and wetlands. By being good stewards of the land,
seeking out local markets, minimizing packaging, and harvesting
food only when it is ready to consume, farmers significantly reduce
their environmental impact. In fact, studies show that sustainable
agricultural practices can actually increase food production by up to
79 percent while at the same time actively reducing the effects of
farming on climate change through carbon sequestration.22
With this knowledge, it is now our job, as both citizens and consum-
ers, to promote this sustainable way of life to make other's aware
of the realities that we face today. Despite income levels and our
geographical location, it is our job to make our voices heard. It is our
job to speak loud and clear to our local councilmen and representa-
tives about the changes that need to be made rather than sit back
and assume someone else is going to do it for you. Get involved in
your communities, initiate local organizations, take part in community
gardens and volunteer at urban farms. We're all peas in this giant pod
of a nation so we need to learn how to work together so that we may
continue to enjoy the natural resources we have access to today.
conclusion peas in a pod
CUESA Sustainable Agriculture Issues How Far Does Your Food Travel to Get to Your Plate? CUESA.
Holly Hill, Food Miles: Background and Marketing. National Sustain-able Agriculture Information Service.
Local Food. Wikipedia.
Molly Watson, Locavore. Local Foods.
Easy Ways to Eat Local. Vanguard’s Buy Local Challenge. Vanguard Communications.
Food Desert. Wikipedia.
Tyler Woods, Americans Eat Unhealthy. Emax Health.
Dawn Gifford, 13 Ways to Create a Sustainable Food Tipping Point. Farm to Table.
Shereen Jegtvig, Green Tips for Your Diet. Choosing Foods for Sustainable Living. About.com.
CSA. LocalHarvest.
Farmers’ Markets. LocalHarvest.
M. Bailkey, From Brownfields to Greenfields: Producing Food in North American Cities. Community Food Security News.
The Context For Change. Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World. The National Academies Press.
Kimberly Bellah, Agricultural Education=Agricultural Literacy. AllBusiness.
Jonathan Bloom, Stop Wasting Food: It’s not that hard, and it could save the planet. Post-Gazette.
John Ikerd, The Arts and Sciences of Sustainable Community-based Food Systems.
Our Current Food System. Greenpeace.
Food Deserts: Areas Without Access to Proper Foods. Truthful Politics.
John Crabtree, The Importance of Rural Grocery Stores. Center for Rural Affairs.
Policy & Legislation. The Issues. Sustainable Table.
Shaping Our Local Food Systems. Environmental Commons.
What is Local? Eat Local Buy Local Be Local. Sustainable Table.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
end notes
Designed, written and edited by Emily Shields
312.450.5581 • [email protected]
Photography by Chiot's Run: chiotsrun.com
Rockwell • Univers
InDesign • Photoshop
Epson 5-Star 50 lb Matte Double-Sided Paper
Epson 3880 Stylus Pro
Perfect Binding
Soft Cover with Applied Canvas-Cover
Bailkey, M. From Brownfields to Greenfields: Producing Food in North American Cities. Food Security News. Fall 1999. 13 Nov. 2010.
Bellah, Kimberly . Agricultural Education=Agricultural Literacy. All Business. 1 Jul. 2004. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.
Bloom, Jonathan. Stop Wasting Food: It’s not that hard, and it could save the planet. Post-Gazette. 21 Nov. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2010.
Crabtree, John. The Importance of Rural Grocery Stores. Center for Rural Affairs. 8 Nov. 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2010.
CSA. LocalHarvest. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
CUESA Sustainable Agriculture Issues How Far Does Your Food Travel to Get to Your Plate? CUESA, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture. Web. 4 Sept. 2010.
Easy Ways to Eat Local. Vanguard’s Buy Local Challenge. Vanguard Communications. 4 Jul. 2008. Web. 3 Dec. 2010.
Farmers’ Markets. LocalHarvest. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
Food Desert. Wikipedia. 29 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2010.
Food Deserts: Areas Without Access to Proper Foods. Truthful Politics. 22 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2010.
Gabbert, Laura. No Impact Man: The Documentary. 2009.
Gifford, Dawn. 13 Ways to Create a Sustainable Food Tipping Point. Farm to Table. 9 Sept. 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.
Hill, Holly. Food Miles: Background and Marketing. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
Ikerd, John. The Arts and Sciences of Sustainable Community-based Food Systems. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
Jegtvig, Shereen. Green Tips for Your Diet. Choosing Foods for Sustainable Living. About.com. 19 April. 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2010.
Local Food. Wikipedia. 14 Nov. 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.
Our Current Food System. Greenpeace. Web. 2 Dec. 2010.
Policy & Legislation. The Issues. Sustainable Table. Web. 4 Sept. 2010.
Shaping Our Local Food Systems. Environmental Commons. Web. 12 Dec. 2010.
The Context For Change. Transforming Agricultural Education for a Chang-ing World. The National Academies Press. 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
Watson, Molly. Locavore. Local Foods. About.com. Web. 15 Nov. 2010.
What is Local? Eat Local Buy Local Be Local. Sustainable Table. Web. 4 Sept. 2010.
Woods, Tyler. Americans Eat Unhealthy. Emax Health. Web. Dec. 2010.
bibliography
Top Related