Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost@gilanet.com>]

Let's see: 
1. buy local
2. buy from the farmer
3. avoid processed foods and cook from scratch. 

Couldn't agree more. Where we are the nearest farmers market is a half
day's drive there and back, so we're growing more of our own each year and
offering more starter plants to the locals.  But I'll toss out some
personal observations. 

Barb (my cook and teacher) cooked with basics from childhood, with Italian
immigrant parents. We both feel the cookbooks make it way too complicated
and intimidating. Turn off the TV chefs; they have to do things differently
and make fancy stuff to stay on TV. There are simple guidelines, and
cooking from scratch is easy and quick to learn in the kitchen with someone
experienced. But who out there has someone experienced to show them and
work with them a few times? How much of these skills have been lost in the
past two or three generations? We used to have extended families in the
same home or close by, to pass on skills and knowhow, to watch the kids
when it's needed, to look after the elders when they need it.  In coming
hard times we will be forced to relearn the Old Ways. 

paul tradingpost@gilanet.com
http://largocreekfarms.com
http://medicinehill.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 1/29/2005 at 9:15 AM Pat Meadows wrote:

>On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 18:30:01 -0700, you wrote:
>
>>Demand Choice - Demand Labeling
>>http://www.truefoodnow.org/shoppersguide/labeling.html
>>
>>Currently, at least 46 different genetically engineered foods are being
>>sold without labeling or pre-market safety testing. These genetically
>>engineered foods are present in up to 70% of processed food products,
from
>>major soy-based baby formulas to some of the most popular corn chip
>brands,
>>found in supermarket shelves every day.
>>
>
>Would it be too drastic to also say 'Avoid processed foods'
>or 'Cook basic foods from scratch' ?  
>
>There are a myriad of benefits from cooking and eating whole
>natural foods, not the least of which are health benefits.
>I don't always manage it, sometimes I'm in too much pain or
>too tired to even think about cooking.  But it's not an 'all
>or nothing' situation.  The more you can do it, the more
>your health and wallet will benefit.
>
>Then, to complete the circle:  BUY LOCAL FOOD whenever you
>can.  
>
>What you cannot buy locally, can sometimes be bought
>directly from the farmer:  I buy, for instance, wheat and
>soybeans directly from farmers.  They're not local, but at
>least I am bypassing the middlemen and processing.  This is
>good too, not least because the grower is actually getting a
>decent price for the fruits of his labor.
>
>The specific version of 'Ten Reasons' below was adapted for
>Vermont, by a University of Vermont extension person, but
>the same principles apply to all areas.
>
>Cheers,
>Pat
>
>---------------
>
>TEN REASONS TO BUY LOCAL FOOD
>(adapted from 'Growing For Market' newsletter)
>by Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont Extension
>
>Vermont is blessed with a variety of farms. While known for
>dairy, there also many farms that raise fruits and
>vegetables, flowers and herbs, and animal products of all
>kinds. Our farmers are dedicated to stewardship and
>committed to quality. And while they love what they do, they
>aren't doing it for entertainment. They need to make a
>living. Consumers that value fresh food and a working
>landscape should support local farmers by buying their
>products. Here are ten reasons why.
>
>1)  Locally grown food tastes and looks better. The crops
>are picked at their peak, and farmstead products like
>cheeses and are hand-crafted for best flavor. Food imported
>from far away is older and has traveled on trucks or planes,
>and sat in warehouses before it gets to you.
>
>2) Local food is better for you. The shorter the time
>between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that
>nutrients will be lost from fresh food.
>
>3) Local food preserves genetic diversity. In the modern
>agricultural system, plant varieties are chosen for their
>ability to ripen uniformly, withstand harvesting, survive
>packing and last a long time on the shelf, so there is
>limited genetic diversity in large-scale production. Smaller
>local farms, in contrast, often grow many different
>varieties to provide a long harvest season, an array of
>colors, and the best flavors.
>
>4) Local food is safe. There's a unique kind of assurance
>that comes from looking a farmer in the eye at farmers'
>market or driving by the fields where your food comes from.
>Local farmers aren't anonymous and they take their
>responsibility to the consumer seriously.
>
>5) Local food supports local families. The wholesale prices
>that farmers get for their products are low, often near the
>cost of production. Local farmers who sell direct to
>consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price
>for their food - which helps farm families stay on the land.
>
>6) Local food builds community. When you buy direct from a
>farmer, you're engaging in a time-honored connection between
>eater and grower. Knowing farmers gives you insight into the
>seasons, the land, and your food. In many cases, it gives
>you access to a place where your children and grandchildren
>can go to learn about nature and agriculture.
>
>7) Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid
>more for their products by marketing locally, they're less
>likely to sell farmland for development. When you buy
>locally grown food, you're doing something proactive to
>preserve our  agricultural landscape.
>
>8)  Local food keeps taxes down. According to several
>studies, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in
>services, whereas most development contributes less in taxes
>than the cost of required services.
>
>9) Local food benefits the environment and wildlife.
>Well-managed farms conserve fertile soil and clean water in
>our communities. The farm environment is a patchwork of
>fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide
>habitat for wildlife.
>
>10) Local food is an investment in the future. By supporting
>local farmers today, you are helping to ensure that there
>will be farms in your community tomorrow.
>
>-----------------------
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>
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