Supporting Sustainable Local Food and the Growers Who Produce It
As we look forward to a steady and increasing supply of healthy, local, sustainably produced food—especially in the face of a changing climate—we need to make sure that we provide all the support for the producers of that food that they really need. These sustainable farmers and ranchers need loyal customers who are willing to pay them a fair price for their hard work and attention to quality. But they also need community support, recognition, and encouragement—as well as our support for local, state, and federal policies that encourage rather than hinder community-based, sustainable food production and marketing. We can, and must, help in all three areas of support or we won’t have the quality local food we need into the future.
First, we need to learn and talk strategically about industrial food. We need to keep reminding ourselves of the fundamental differences between industrial food and that which is produced by our local sustainable farmers and ranchers. The beauty of local is that we know these producers and know, or should know, how they produce our food. We need to resist the tendency to ignore the destructive social, economic, and environmental externalities of the industrial food system.
We do need to talk with others about these disturbing externalities. But, as sustainable local food activists, we need to know just how much of the dark side of industrial food we need to portray to various audiences to get their attention without “turning them off,” and always try to have viable and positive alternatives to put forth. Before we expound on industrial feedlots, it’s best to have some local sustainable grass-based ranchers to recommend, and suggestions as to how to afford higher quality meats by perhaps eating less. Before we point to farm worker abuses, chemical contamination of waterways, biodiversity losses, or climate impacts of industrial crop production, we best have some good local growers in mind and some encouraging gardening advice.
Gardening can actually support our local producers. Rather than fear that community members growing food in their backyards will cut into local producer sales and profits, we should recognize that the more people are involved in growing some of their own food, the more likely they will support local producers and appreciate the challenges they face. They will more likely value the hard work and skill of local producers and the need for sustainable growing methods. They will be much more likely to be loyal customers and pay the fair prices that will keep local growers in business. Gardens at institutions such as schools, preschools, hospitals, senior centers, and colleges can likewise leverage greater institutional sales for local producers through greater awareness and public support.
Recognition and supportive policies are needed. The more we publicly recognize and showcase the social, economic, and environmental contributions of local sustainable farmers and ranchers, the more they will be encouraged to strive for greater sustainability, and the more likely they will receive support in the marketplace and in policies. We all know how important local policies are to agriculture, but need to take a second look at what will actually support local food producers, many of whom are on small acreages, need to do value-added processing for viability, need flexible local marketing options, and often have limited funds to meet food safety requirements—some of which may not be necessary for small local operations with excellent traceability. These policies are our own local responsibility. On the state and federal levels, being informed and working with enlightened policy groups to advocate for local sustainable producers is critical. We must ensure that these producers have fair access to government assistance and have regulations appropriate for their scale, and that subsidies support not the needs of agribusiness but the needs, desires, and values of the American public and long-term sustainability in a changing world.
Whose responsibility is the affordability of good food? When we speak of the need for healthier local food and being prepared to pay more if necessary for it, the question of affordability obviously arises. We must unpack this issue carefully in order to solve it sustainably. First, if one can afford the extra cost for sustainably produced and local foods, they should do so! Next, to put the burden on the farmer or rancher to provide food to consumers at a price that all can afford seems unfair. This, in fact, is what our industrial and corporate food system does—a race to the bottom to drive down the prices that growers get. It seems most appropriate to place this burden of affordability on society as a whole and ask society to work towards livable wages for all consumers and growers, control of corporate market manipulation, and food assistance programs that serve the health of the consumer and the sustainability of our planet more than the corporate profit margin.
Supporting young farmers. Young farmers are our future as we all know the average age of farmers is far beyond what it should be. I’ve been impressed with the National Young Farmers Coalition and those producers I know who are members in our area. In my view these farmers tend to see the real impediments they face and have clear visions of what their life and that of their families should be as local producers. They can also articulate what they need in order to continue growing for us. A recent national survey of the group listed their major challenges—the top being access to land followed by student loan debt, labor needs on the farm, health insurance, and more. The survey results indicate we need to listen carefully to these young farmers if we are to provide them the support they really need, as we may well have preconceived notions of their challenges. A case in point: the most helpful “policy, program, or institution” cited was the Affordable Care Act!
Young farmers on climate: Of particular interest to us are the survey responses of these young farmers relating to climate change and the environment. Unpredictable weather, severe storms, pest pressure, and water supply are some of the climate-related challenges they face. It behooves us as a society and as a local community to do what we can to help our young local farmers adapt to the climate changes that are here now and that will be increasing in the future. We also must work throughout all sectors—food, energy, transport, and the like—to help mitigate additional climate change that could make farming in the future extremely challenging for these farmers and ranchers. These bright young people are key to a sustainable future.
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