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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Farmers markets feed the 100-mile diet
  • Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:31:28 -0600



Farmers markets feed the 100-mile diet
http://cnn.nl/2007/LIVING/wayoflife/08/31/buying.local.food/index.html

CNN.COM

Concerned foodies vow to buy only locally grown food in September
Freshness, conserving energy, contributing to local economy
Farmers markets may be open limited days, hours
By Victoria Spencer

(LifeWire) -- If the food hasn't been grown within 100 miles of where
we live -- we won't buy it. That is the pledge concerned foodies
across the country are taking for the entire month of September. At
its extreme, the 100-mile diet means no coffee, no spices and no
chocolate. Most people don't go that far, but they do embrace buying
food grown and raised locally where possible. Freshness, energy
conservation and contributing to the regional economy are among the
reasons people offer for buying local food. It's a growing trend
across the country.

Farmers markets

Estimated sales at farmers markets rose from $888 million in 2000 to
$1 billion in 2005, according to a 2006 USDA survey. There are now
more than 4,300 markets nationwide -- an 18 percent increase from
1994 through 2006 -- where local farmers sell directly to the public
the fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy and baked
goods they have grown, raised, caught and made. Shoppers surveyed
since 1990 say they most appreciate farmers markets for their high-
quality, fresh produce -- the vegetables, herbs and fruits often are
harvested within 24 hours of being sold. Produce sold in
supermarkets, on the other hand, has traveled an average of 1,300
miles from farm to shelf, according to the University of
Massachusetts Extension, and is chosen for its ability to withstand
industrial harvesting and shipping.

Shopping at a farmers market, though, is not for everyone. For
starters, the markets usually are held outdoors, once or twice a
week, so convenience is an issue. Also, vendors sell what is in
season locally, which means fragrant strawberries in the late spring
but not in the winter. In some ways, though, farmers markets offer
more choice. Sheila Neal, manager of the Carrboro Farmers' Market in
North Carolina, says that farmers markets sell "a diversity and
variety of fruit and vegetables not found in the supermarket." While
a grocery store may carry three varieties of pears year round, an
orchard stand at the market may offer more than 10 varieties when the
harvest is at its peak.

How do prices at farmer's markets compare to those offered by
supermarkets or grocery stores? There is little current research on
the subject and what is available looks at small sample sizes. Two
older, more rigorous studies, one from 1994 and the other from 2002,
give the price advantage to farmers markets. "Experience with my own
market suggests that there is a relative price advantage with
supermarkets because of economies of scale. But I suspect price
differentials vary widely from community to community," according to
Duncan L. Hilchey, an agriculture development specialist with the
Community and Rural Development Institute at Cornell University. He
added that "when you add up all the external costs such as
environmental damage, the pollution generated by long-haul transport,
water supply subsidies to Western farmers (who are large suppliers of
supermarket produce), and the social costs of poorly treated farm
labor, I believe you will find that food purchased from you local
farmers market is much cheaper."

Social, environmental reasons

Buying local food also can be a social statement. Shoppers buying
from local farms are supporting the regional economy, helping to
preserve family farms and getting to know the people who raise their
food. There's also an environmental benefit to buying local food.
Farms are relatively close to the markets where they sell their food
(usually within 50 to 250 miles), so they use less energy and other
resources getting their produce to market. Responding to consumer
demand, large and small food store retailers have increased the
amount of organic food on sale but the larger operations, in
particular, face challenges in buying local given their high-volume
and centralized distribution systems. Whole Foods Market Inc., which
operates a regional distribution system, has hired foragers to seek
out more regional items for their stores.

Taking a share in a farm

Community supported agriculture groups, or CSAs, are one way to take
buying local food a step further. By paying to join a CSA farm,
consumers essentially take a share in the farm for the season,
typically late spring through early fall, and in return receive a box
of produce from the farm each week. New Yorker Mary Jo Johnson says
being part of Norwich Hill Farm CSA "has helped me to try a lot of
things I'd never tried before, like kale and kohlrabi." Others say
the unpredictability and, sometimes, unfamiliarity of the produce
makes it hard to prepare meals but CSAs usually provide advice and
recipes to help. For CSA member Johnson, the motivation for shopping
local is both political and practical. "It makes me feel connected to
the people who are producing what I need for my health," she said.
And, it is "so much fun."








  • [Livingontheland] Farmers markets feed the 100-mile diet, TradingPostPaul, 09/06/2007

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