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market-farming - [Market-farming] was Michael Pollan article/ now, how far away is local?

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  • From: Leigh Hauter <lhh AT hughes.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] was Michael Pollan article/ now, how far away is local?
  • Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 00:18:29 -0400

I would hope that a city the size of Charlottesville could
support a farm the size of Polyface. Not so, apparently.

-Allan


fyi

While C'ville does support a nice market there isn't anywhere near the population base of DC.
(all population numbers are 2000 and distance time from Swoope is very approximate
C'ville 45,000 70 min
Harrisonburg 40,500 40 min
Stuanton 24,000 20 min
Waynesboro 19,500 30 min
Winchester 23,500 2 hr
Roanoke 95,000 1.5 hr
greater Washington DC what, 5 million 3 hr

The trip from Staunton to DC is about 150 miles.

This article does obliquely touch on the issue of sustainable farming as in, getting your produce to market.

Obviously for many of us farming in the northern part of Virginia, DC is our market. What does, exactly, the term local mean? Is local the 40 miles my farm is from the city and everything farther is not local? Or is it the, what, 60 miles from Shepardstown to DC? or is it the couple hours the delivery truck spends on the road coming down from PA?

Obviously, with gas prices going over $3 a gallon we need to re-consider markets, as I'm sure the multinationals that are right now shipping fall vegetables to DC from Chile are. Local and sustainable are relative terms that are apparently just about to make a big change in meaning.

Back before the petrol economy, at least around here, local meant 2 or 3 miles. Even up until the 30's the grocery store was the country market several miles down the road. This was before good roads and relatively fast transportation. It was only with the completion of the interstate highway that DC was 'local' and a place someone this far out would consider as a market for their produce.

By complaint is not the 150 miles to market from Swoope to DC (I once taught hs over that way and commuted from C'ville), instead saying the customer should drive that distance rather than the farmer working out an efficient, relatively fuel saving system of Fed Ex ing the produce.

How many chickens will you have to sell, at what price to make it profitable to drive that 150 miles?




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