The presence and numbers of many of the ecosystem service providers listed above can be seen as indicators of the health of those growing areas and of the whole foodshed. In addition some wild species might not aid us directly as much in growing food as they indicate the health of the overall ecosystem on which our food production depends. For example, dragonflies certainly eat agricultural pests, but are better known as good indicators of the quality of the water in an area. Watch for indicators beyond the garden, farm, or ranch as well since they are clues to the health of the whole foodshed—an example being the pika in the high mountains, which indicate how much warming is happening up where the snowpack that our irrigation supplies come from accumulates.
Healthy Community Food Systems
Healthy Land, Healthy Food, Healthy People
Being Proactive—as a Community—About Climate Change in our Local Food Systems and Foodsheds
Fickle Monsoons, Summer in March, and Hot Summer Nights: Climate change is here, has been seriously affecting local agriculture, and will certainly get worse. It will take some serious effort to adjust our local food production and local food systems to the extent needed, so why not ramp up efforts now to adapt and help […]