In BCS our task is monumental because we lack both supply and demand for locally grown organic foods. Last night we had a healthy discussion of ways in which to build both. We spoke about four basic models and I will add two more that have been discussed but I don’t believe they came up last night.
BUYERS GROUP
This is a model in which members pay a small start up fee and indicate what produce they do not wish to receive. There after they pay a weekly fee for a weekly basket of food that does not include the things that they do not like but otherwise includes a weekly ration of food for however many they are buying for. You are not going to get all potatoes one week and all onions the next. The buyer goes out and gets the best deal possible from local suppliers.
CASA
It was suggested that the buyers group was a “walmartization” in that it encouraged competitive buying and left the farmer little security for his/her efforts. It was suggested that a better option might be CASAs or Community Assisted Sustainable Agriculture. In this model a family pays a farmer up front and then the farmer delivers to the family their share of the harvest based on the number of people who buy into the CASA. Just as the buyers group does not protect the farmer, this system leaves consumer rather vulnerable. What if the farmer sucks and can’t grow anything but potatoes? What if the farmer is greedy and signs up more families than her/his farm will support? What if the farmer is lazy and just wants to sit on a bench and read about farming psychotropic plants rather than actually growing good nutritious food.
HYBRID
In this scenario a buyers group commissions with a group of farmers who work cooperatively to provide a variety of seasonal foods.
FARMERS MARKET
A Bright sunny community gathering where farmers offer up their goods to the masses. This is not the hot dirty parking lot model that we are familiar with in the Brazos Valley, but a community built and managed structure that gathers in the community to support local farmers and small producers of foods and other goods.
RESTAURANTS THAT FEATURE LOCALLY GROWN ORGANIC FOODS
Restaurants that get it are a great way of providing strong demand and educate the public about the nutritional and sensual advantages of slow foods. Thanks to the Village the example is being set.
GROW YOUR OWN
Back yard and community gardens. This becomes increasingly viable as our community invests in good community gardens, free workshops and other means of providing information. Our cities have already started to work on this model with projects such composting classes.
In order to nurture the sort of culture that supports locally grown organic foods it is probably important not to ignore any of these models. What model do you think is most appealing? What ideas do you have for expanding the value of locally grown organic foods in the Brazos Valley? Is the biggest impediment supply or is it demand?
5 comments:
I think we have a wonderful supply (especially of veggies). All of my veggies, herbs, honey, eggs, etc come exclusively from our local weekly farmers market. I can easily eat year round there. Then all my milk, cheese, and meat comes from the local dairy (in Cameron but a delivery driver comes once a week here in town for a small fee). I have to hunt around a bit for local fruit, but that's the only thing I've had trouble keeping stock (locally speaking).
Access, however, is a problem. Thankfully, I'm within biking distance of the Saturday market, but I know many of the vendors are not happy with that space. It would be nice to 1) find a space they like better and 2) have those fruits and veggies available more frequently. Could we work out a deal with Brazos Natural Foods where they buy some of what's left from Saturday's market for sale throughout the week?
The CASA idea sounds just like a CSA. We have one in town that I know of, and a second one in Brenham. So far, I haven't joined because I can get everything I need either at the farmers market on Saturday or my backyard garden.
Please understand that recognizing that our farmers market can easily be greatly improved is not intended to be a denigration of our hard working local farmers. The problems here are mainly ones of culture. And we can make a difference here. At this time our municipalities do not see this as a community issue. And most local consumers do not understand all of the values associated with locally grown foods. I do not assume to fully understand those values either. But clearly there is, in my opinion, enough value here to make it worthy of community investment.
We are working to bring together resources to avoid leaving our farmers stuck in a dirty parking lot hoping to attract attention.
We believe that in the university, our cities, the state and possibly even with federal grants we can help nurture a better situation that includes an attractive and welcoming farmers market, marketing, support and information that will help increase our communities understanding of the value in locally grown foods and also help increase supply and distribution.
One of the ways that we are working to expand the locavore ethos is by taking trips out to see local small scale and sustainable farms and ranches. We had a great time and learn a lot at Sand Creek Farms last month. We would love for you to join us in one of the up coming outings.
Something that might be helpful in changing the culture is having a Farmers Market or other representative at the festivals around town. I sat with the Vaughns' table up at TAMU's sustainability day and despite the fact that it's in the local paper every week most people don't even know we have a farmers market. It would be great to have a few bodies at local festivals encouraging people to check the market out and to talk about what eating locally means to them.
I spoke at the School of Rural Public Health last spring at one of their Lunch-n-Learns about what got me started eating locally. I'd be glad to help out with getting the word out.
I was glad to hear about your trip to Sand Creek. My hubby and I are members and took my best friend and her kids out to one of their farm days over the summer. It was a wonderful opportunity to get in touch with food sources (not to mention we had a great time). I'm looking forward to your future trips and will hopefully be able to join. But are there many people who join you who are not already participating in a "green" or sustainable culture? While I find the trips wonderfully valuable, I think having representatives at local events might perhaps help reach out to the more conservatives in the BV.
Thoughts?
Right!!!! Absolutely. Having people in places that reach a broader cross section of the community is crucial. I think that one thing that the locavore trips do is to cultivate (pun alert) people who may be willing to do things like sit at a booth at a festival. It also helps get people excited about their own backyard production. Though these trips are a bit of preaching to the choir, I suspect that it is important to fire the choir up. Also, as word gets out, these trips will include more than just the usual suspects. Already we have had interest from parents who are just looking for cool outings for their kids.
That's wonderful! The two little ones we took with us to Sand Creek just love it. I'm on the mailing list for outings and will look forward to upcoming events. If there are things I can do to help, let me know.
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