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Prairieland Market A Guide To Buying Local Food In North
Central Kansas Mission
Statement Guiding Principles
Why Buy Locally Grown Food The
mission of the regional food policy council is: To
assess the environmental, health, and sociological impact of food consumption
and production on a region. To guide activities within this region to increase
environmental stewardship, maintain biodiversity, improve individual health,
educate, and foster an increased sense of community. Food Policy Council
Guiding Principles 1.
Food is necessary to sustain life. 2.
Eating healthy food is a part of maintaining our own health. 3.
A system of agriculture that is not naturally sustainable will eventually
produce less and less food. 4.
Buying from a local producer strengthens the local community both
socially and economically. 5.
FPC information must be accessible to all the members of a community. 6.
Producer should look at opportunities to provide food for their local
communities (economy of location) before looking at providing food for the world
community (economy of scale). 7. Agriculture has a great impact on a communities' environment and it is the responsibility of the consumer and the producer to share in the protection of this environment. 8.
All educational institutions within a community, from early learning
centers to programs offering doctorates, should play an active role in a FPC ñ
both using it for educational opportunities and providing information,
resources, and energy. 9.
When a person sits down to a meal they should know where it came from and
the practices that were used to produce it. 10.
FPCs strengthen communities by bringing people together to work for a
common goal. 11.
FPCs should facilitate the development of healthy relationships between
consumer and producer by encouraging educational opportunities that allow all
parties to freely share information. 12. When an entity within a community takes on the role of food provider it should follow the above principles to carry out that task. [Top] It is fresher, tastier and more nutritious. Local fruits and vegetables are fresher than produce grown half a continent away, harvested before it is ripe and then stored for long periods before you bring it home. Produce grown for large-scale commercial distribution is bred for shipping and long storage, not taste and texture. FoodRoutes reports that typical commercial produce can spend seven to 14 days in transit before reaching the supermarket. Double-blind studies show produce from farmersí markets consistently beats the conventional supermarket version in taste tests, reports the Worldwatch Institute. Says Cynthia Barstow in The Eco-Foods Guide: ìStudies show a deep decline in nutritional value from the moment produce is plucked from the field. If you eat it within 24 hours, you get significantly more vitamins and phytochemicals.î It supports local farmers and keeps more of your food dollar working in your hometown. For every dollar a consumer spends on food, family farmers now receive 10 cents or less, compared to as much as 70 cents just a few decades ago. Buying locally grown food gets more money into the hands of the farmer who grows the food, and those local food dollars boost your hometownís economy, benefiting both you and your neighbor. Worldwatch says a dollar spent on local food generates nearly twice as much income for the local economy as a dollar spent in a corporate supermarket. Imagine if Saline Countyís 22,000 households each spent just $5 a week on locally grown food. An additional $5,270,000 each year would flow to local farmers and market gardeners, who would return much of that money back to your community. It conserves energy and reduces output of greenhouse gases. The great distance that typical super-market food travels means more packaging (real waste) and more fuel use. An Iowa study compared the ìfood milesî of an Iowa meal comprising food from conventional national sources with a meal of local food. The conventional mealís food traveled an estimated average of 1,546 miles compared with only 45 miles for the local meal, according to the study, by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Depending on the type of transportation used, the conventional food system burned four to 17 times more fuel than the local system. Release of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming, was five to 17 times greater for the conventional system than the local one. It gives you a better picture of how your food is produced. Large-scale agriculture typically uses synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for growing crops, an increasing number of which are genetically modified. Antibiotics and hormones are routinely used in livestock production. A new book, Fatal Harvest, describes the problems posed: ì Industrial agriculture is the largest single threat to the earthís biodiversity. Fence-row-to-fence-row plowing, planting and harvesting techniques decimate wildlife habitats, while massive chemical use poisons the soil and water, and kills off countless plant and animal communities.î You as a consumer have no way of knowing how most supermarket food is grown. In contrast, local producers enjoy discussing their production practices and often invite people to tour their farms. This gives consumers a real connection to their food and offers them an opportunity to express preferences for how their food is produced. [Top] What
is Organic? Organic
refers to the way agricultural products are grown, raised and processed. The
words ìorganicî on the label stands for a commitment to agriculture
practices which strive for a balance with nature, using methods and materials
witch are low impact to the environment. How
is Organic different from Natural, Transitionally grown or Conventional foods. ìNaturalî
refers to the way a food is processed after it has been harvested. The word
natural on the label means that Preservatives and additives have not been added
during processing. ìTransitionally
Grownî
is the term used for products that are produced when a farmer Begins growing
organic. The food is grown, Harvested, cleaned and stored in accordance, with
organic methods, but the land had not met the three-year chemical-free time
Requirements of national organic standards. ìConventionalî
foods are produced through conventional farming practices with include the use
of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides in plant production as well as the use
of hormones or antibiotics in livestock. Health
Considerations: 1)
Health authorities have linked antibiotic use in livestock to the
increase of people having infections that are resistant to antibiotics. 2)
Children eating primarily organic diets had significantly lower pesticide
metabolite concentrations (in tested urine) than children eating conventional
foods. 3)
In California, reported pesticide poisoning in farm workers has increased
an average of 14% a year since 1973. 4)
Side effects of genetically engineered and irradiated foods are still
being researched. Environmental: 1)
Organic farms build the soil. Conventional farming is resulting in the
highest level of topsoil erosion in history. 2)
The elimination of chemical and nitrogen leaching protects and conserves
water. 3)
Organic farms restore bio-diversity. Birds, butterflies and vegetation
are present 44-300% more in organic fields than conventional. Support
the small farmers: It
is estimated that ‡ of U.S. farm production comes from 1% of farms. Organic
farms are generally small. One may be your neighbor. Taste
the difference: A
peach can still taste like a peach. No
Hidden Costs: Conventional
food does not reflect the hidden costs to the taxpayer. Pesticide regulation,
farm workerís health and hazardous waste disposal are among the hidden costs. Other
Resources: Environmental Working Group Midwest Organic Services Association Organic Trade Association Farmers
who grow or raise organic products must comply with the definition of organic
foods as determined by the United States Department of Agriculture. Organic
farming and certified produces are defined the USDA as followsÖ
Making
the switch to organic If
you are making the switch to organic foods, consider making a complete switch or
try switching to organic for the foods you eat most often. Choosing foods that
are in season is always a sound economic decision. Organic foods are available
in most, but not all food categories. Also, get to know you local farmers. Often
small farmers use less chemicals then conventional farmers, but getting organic
certification is cost prohibitive. Keep
in mind that washing and peeling may only remove up to 25% of pesticide
residues. Many pesticides can penetrate the peel, and others are absorbed
through the roots. The following conventionally grown foods have the highest
concentrations of pesticides. Most
Contaminated Conventionally Grown foods*
*Information from the Environmental Working Group [Top] How Produce is Marked! [ Sticky Numbers ] Most
produce is now marked with a little sticky with a number on it. [Top] |
