Living Car Free - A Growing Trend: Small, Local and Organic (Wash. Post)

A Growing Trend: Small, Local and Organic
Popularity of Farmers Markets, Natural Grocery Stores Helps Cultivate a Rise in Niche Farms
By Michael S. Rosenwald
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 6, 2006; Page D01


This is where Michael Pappas farms: not in the great wide fields of Iowa or in California's industrial salad bowl, but in Lanham. He is eight miles from the Washington Monument, three or four turns from the Beltway, at the end of a long road in a residential neighborhood. He's growing crops on 2 1/2 acres with 2 1/2 employees.

A Growing Trend: Small, Local and Organic (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/05/AR2006110500887.html)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

gotta wonder about those homegrown leafy greens... :rolleyes:


seriously tho, i think that's pretty cool.

Thanks for bringing this up, Slow Train. My current passion is local organic food. It's the way we MUST go if we want to sustain life on this here planet. Being carfree I especially liked the question in the article:


"What good is eating organic if it's been trucked 3,000 gas-guzzling miles across the country?"

Even some of the big supermarkets are getting in on local food. Meijer's is selling stuff from local growers and advertising it. I"m in Traverse City right now and I just bought the best apple cider I ever had, sold at Meijers and made at Friske Orchards just outside TC.

Another thing you might want to check out is CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. Local organic growers sell annual "shares" of their crops. You usually pay up front at the beginning of the season. Then, every week of the growing season, you get a bundle of all the foods that grew on the farm that week. They usually deliver to a central location, and you pick the stuff up on your bike, or you can ride out to the farm and get it.

Now I wish I could find a source for organic coffe beans that are locally grown--in Michigan!

We are working our way towards the small crop/organic market.:D We have 40 acres that primarily grows rocks. The soil is so crappy but the price was right on the land. We are currently using squarefoot gardens and amending the soil in one of smaller fields in hope of being able to grow better crops in it.

Only question I have is about Mr Pappas 1/2 employee....:p I mean I have some guys that work for me that are either a) halfwits or b) only are worth about 1/2 what we pay them:roflmao:

Aaron:)

Now that I am done with the smartass remarks;) I seriously believe in buying as much local as I can. We own a small retail business (bridal shop) and it amazes me the amount of time and gas people will waste driving around trying to save $25 on a $350-$500 dress. We estimated this one girl had spent over $200 "looking" for the "best" deal on a particular dress. We were one of only two stores in a 150 mile radius that had it in stock.:p As far as buying local produce, I think if more people did it and the produce was available we would have fewer outbreaks like the recent Ecoli and they would be smaller and regionally contained. 50-100 years ago your food came from people you knew and was raised right where you live. I think we will be going back to that in the very near future. People also used to eat seasonally, that was why you canned vegetables and fruits. Roody I can ship you some stuff...but it wouldn't be considered local but would still come in under the "average" by a couple of hundred miles;) Another thing that is going to be happening is that people are going to have to quit buying food products for the appearance of them and purchase based on the quality and flavor. I know that home grown stuff tastes much better. We raise our own chickens and while the eggs cost me close to $2.50 a dozen they are much better than the store bought stuff. Now on to the goats and guineas!

Aaron:)

We grow some bits in the back garden, but due to it's small size it is more of a hobby than a serious attempt at providing our own food. About 80% of our shopping, including all milk and meat, is done at the local farmers market (all food sold must be produced within a 50mile radius) with the other bits bought at a supermarket.
It's nice to go along to the market every fortnight and have a chat with the butcher and the milkman - nice men who we pay a good price for the good quality food they provide us with. We could get similar products cheaper from the supermarket, but then the only people making money are the huge supermarket chains.

~snip~ About 80% of our shopping, including all milk and meat, is done at the local farmers market (all food sold must be produced within a 50mile radius) with the other bits bought at a supermarket.
It's nice to go along to the market every fortnight and have a chat with the butcher and the milkman - nice men who we pay a good price for the good quality food they provide us with. We could get similar products cheaper from the supermarket, but then the only people making money are the huge supermarket chains.
Now that is a great idea! A lot of the "farmers" markets around here are nothing more than a few guys with a truck hauling produce over from a wholesaler somewhere. We do have some that specialize in local produce but they are not required to. Also there are not that many "local" markets around anymore, most are roadside stands or you have to drive 40-70 miles to get to a decent sized one. There was one guy down the road from me that used to sell his produce from a mobile stand, but his was a mix of homegrown and wholesaler stuff. He gave it up this year because he was getting too old and wasn't making any money on it. People keep going to the big box stores and Wallyworld shopping price only. We have one true butcher left in the area and he is about 15 miles from the house. There are no local dairies left, they have all been paved over by commercial development and subdivisions :(

Aaron:)

One great thing about this local movement is that you feel like you, the consumer, are a partner with the growers, or you are all part of the same community. You take a more active role in the whole earth-to-mouth process.

The other day I admired a Chinese Cabbage at the market: "It looks like a huge green flower....perfect!" The grower told me how he went out at midnight one night to cover that plant to protect it from frost, and it suddenly made sense to me WHY that plant was perfect, and why it cost a little more than Chinese Cabbages in the supermarket. (Of course, it also cost less than the produce in the health food co-op that's trucked in from California.)

Now I wish I could find a source for organic coffe beans that are locally grown--in Michigan!

Best you can do as an American who likes coffee or chocolate is organic fair trade. Maybe a store in your area sells this stuff from Equal Exchange (http://equalexchange.com) or a similar company; otherwise you can buy direct online. I know two of the people that help run equal exchange, and they seem nice.

Now that is a great idea! A lot of the "farmers" markets around here are nothing more than a few guys with a truck hauling produce over from a wholesaler somewhere...
Yeah, that's what was happening over here - they started to become an easy way to sell the same stuff for more money because people assumed it was direct from farmers. So an overseeing body was created: http://www.farmersmarkets.net/
and they introduced the guidelines on what could or couldn't be sold (Click on "What is a farmers' market?", then "Click here for more on market guidelines and FARMA Certification.")
It's a totally different shopping experience too - you chat to the stall holders, ask them what they recommend, take cooking tips home with you. It's relaxed and friendly - nothing like supermarkets at all!

We have a new store that just opened up about 20 miles north of here that is a local market. It's so cool, they have all the fruits and veggies and meats and even beers labeled and you can go look at a map that is on the wall and it will tell you where the farm or brewery is. There is still some of the prepackaged stuff that is shipped in but for the most part it is a LOCAL market

We have a new store that just opened up about 20 miles north of here that is a local market. It's so cool, they have all the fruits and veggies and meats and even beers labeled and you can go look at a map that is on the wall and it will tell you where the farm or brewery is. There is still some of the prepackaged stuff that is shipped in but for the most part it is a LOCAL market
Sounds great, but with the only problem being that you have to travel 20 miles to buy local food. That's a long haul on a bike or even by car.

Another thing you might want to check out is CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. Local organic growers sell annual "shares" of their crops. You usually pay up front at the beginning of the season. Then, every week of the growing season, you get a bundle of all the foods that grew on the farm that week. They usually deliver to a central location, and you pick the stuff up on your bike, or you can ride out to the farm and get it.

Here's another vote for a CSA. My wife and I signed up for one this summer, and we're hooked. The food is delicious, and it's a great value. It was about $600 and supplied about 95% of our produce from June through October, as well as a fair amount of fruit from August onward. At the peak of the season we were picking and choosing only our favorite things, because there was more than we could eat in a week, and we still have potatoes, garlic, and squash.

It also gives you a whole new outlook on food -- eating only what's in season, going down to the farm to pick it up (or even harvest your own for some crops), you have a sense of connection to the whole process of food production that you don't normally get in modern society. Now that the harvest is over, it's really hard to go back to buying veggies at the grocery store.

Plus, nothing says "treehugger" like riding your tandem down to the farm to pick up organic, locally-grown veggies. ;-)

The only downside is you have to cook to make use of it all -- but we love to cook, so that's not usually a problem for us.

I'm starting to have trouble finding local food now that the growing season is over. We have enough food in Michigan to last all year, but it's hard to find because the farmer's markets and the CSAs shut down in the off season--which is about half the year here. I'm still finding meat, chicken and eggs but most of the produce is gone.

I would be willing to live mostly on what's local in the winter if I could find it--cabbage, potatoes, squash, carrots, onions, apples, etc. I don't have a root cellar for storing stuff, or I would do that.

Root Cellar, great idea! I just gathered up the last tomatoes of the season, and been thinking of what to do with them. Tomatoes are better canned though, I think.

I'm starting to have trouble finding local food now that the growing season is over. We have enough food in Michigan to last all year, but it's hard to find because the farmer's markets and the CSAs shut down in the off season--which is about half the year here. I'm still finding meat, chicken and eggs but most of the produce is gone.

I would be willing to live mostly on what's local in the winter if I could find it--cabbage, potatoes, squash, carrots, onions, apples, etc. I don't have a root cellar for storing stuff, or I would do that.

Roody, when I was young we lived in the country up north. Mom grew a lot of the familiy's fruit and vegies. We also gathered wild things in the forest like berries and mushrooms. Mom canned and froze stuff. Mostly canned vegies and made different kinds of fruit preserves and jellies. I remember a big steeming pot as she did it. Next summer you might want to give canning a try. Dad made wine from some of the fruit, the grapes and I think the cherries and he made hard cider from the apples. That was his way to preserve the harvest. There is probably a book in your library about home food preservation.

Roody, when I was young we lived in the country up north. Mom grew a lot of the familiy's fruit and vegies. We also gathered wild things in the forest like berries and mushrooms. Mom canned and froze stuff. Mostly canned vegies and made different kinds of fruit preserves and jellies. I remember a big steeming pot as she did it. Next summer you might want to give canning a try. Dad made wine from some of the fruit, the grapes and I think the cherries and he made hard cider from the apples. That was his way to preserve the harvest. There is probably a book in your library about home food preservation.

+1
That is the way my grandmother did it too. We did have the cellar but some things are only going to last part of the season. We canned about everything that came out of the garden...corn, beans, carrots, tomatoes, okra, rhubarb, etc. The cabbages, turnips, potatoes, onions and hard fruits like apples were stored in wood shavings in crates.

Aaron:)

I don't know about canning. I'll think about it for next year....

I do make a lot of tomato sauce and freeze it in baggies. every time I eat it I think of the hot summer days when I rode my bike out to the farm to buy the tomatoes.

Canning is pretty easy... my wife and I did a little bit this summer. You can get setup with everything you need for < $100 -- and there's even a "Canning for Dummies" book. :)

We didn't do a lot because of time limitations, but we made some raspberry jam, tomato sauce, and salsa. The salsa doesn't come out so well because you need to add a lot of vinegar to make it acidic enough to prevent botulism.

One big advantage we have over earlier generations is the freezer. A lot of items can be frozen as well as canned with good results. Take a walk down the frozen food aisle in any grocery store. For the most part if they can do it, so can you;) Typically veggies are blanched prior to freezing. It takes some experimentation to decide what you will and won't freeze. My favorite to freeze is gazpacho, it freezes very well, and can be used to make a decent salsa in the dead of winter. Unfortunately a lot of softer fruits and veggies don't take freezing well, and you do lose some flavor and appearance when you can. There are a couple types of canning for you neophytes out there;) And google will be glad to give you the links:D But basically you have pressure canning (using a large pressure cooker) and hot bath canning. I haven't done a lot of canning in the past couple of years, but will be getting back into it more in the future. I figure if my grandmother could do it on a wood stove by lantern light I should be able to do it in a more modern kitchen. Antother thing I think would be neat to look into would by hydrophonics. I actually live far enough south that I could probably make a solar heated greenhouse work for a lot of things.

Aaron:)

I've done some fairly advanced canning in the past (soups and meats), also jelly making and pickling. The reason wasn't simplicity or efficiency, it was mostly just to carry on some of the old traditions and pass them on to my daughter.

I have a letter written by my great grandmother in 1940 talking about how much work it was to put up food from the farm every year. She thought it was wearing her out.

I've done some fairly advanced canning in the past (soups and meats), also jelly making and pickling. The reason wasn't simplicity or efficiency, it was mostly just to carry on some of the old traditions and pass them on to my daughter.

I have a letter written by my great grandmother in 1940 talking about how much work it was to put up food from the farm every year. She thought it was wearing her out.
I agree that it isn't effecient or particularly cost effective. We do it out of habit, wanting something a bit better than the ordinary and just so we don't lose touch with the old methods...they may come in real handy one day. And YOU know what went into that can. We have canned just about anything that can be. Also by learning how to do things the old fashioned way you will more appreciate modern methods, and always have something to fall back on. At one time I was working as a carpenter, power went down and everybody gives up and goes home for the day, I happen to know how to use a hand saw and hammer, so I kept working. The boss was so impressed that I stayed there and worked he gave me the whole crew's pay for the day:D (I realize that doesn't happen very often!) Don't get me wrong power tools are great and make our lives a whole lot easier, but if you learn how to do it correctly with the old tools you won't have a problem doing right with the new stuff.

Aaron:)

One big advantage we have over earlier generations is the freezer...Another thing I think would be neat to look into would by hydrophonics. Aaron:)Those techniques may be very valuable in the post-peak-energy world, but they need to be subjected to cost benefit analysis. Hydroponics involves growing food in sand or water (or other media) and adding nutrients, and those nutrients have to come from somewhere. If harvesting those nutrients means depleting resources elsewhere, it may not make sense to do it. The freezer can protect a lot of food from being wasted and save a lot of human energy and lots of material that might have gone into pickling or canning food to preserve it, but the freezer also soaks up a lot of energy to keep it cold.

Those techniques may be very valuable in the post-peak-energy world, but they need to be subjected to cost benefit analysis. Hydroponics involves growing food in sand or water (or other media) and adding nutrients, and those nutrients have to come from somewhere. If harvesting those nutrients means depleting resources elsewhere, it may not make sense to do it. The freezer can protect a lot of food from being wasted and save a lot of human energy and lots of material that might have gone into pickling or canning food to preserve it, but the freezer also soaks up a lot of energy to keep it cold.

There are lots of options out there, ever heard of manure tea;) it is a great liquid fertilizer:p As far as freezers go take a look at the Sunfrost (http://www.sunfrost.com/refrigerators_main.html) freezers. IIRC they can actually be run of solar panels. I am not saying any of this stuff is easy or cheap, but it sure beats the alternative of starving to death or waiting for someone else to take care of you. I was in the Mobile, AL area after Katrina went thru, what was amazing to me was the amount of *****ing and moaning going on about the lack of some items. You would go to a fast food restaurant and the menu would be very limited, mainly due to delivery issues, people would be getting mad at the restaurant employees, as tho they had anything to do with it.:rolleyes: I always travel with emergency rations in my truck, and keep a pretty good backstock of canned and frozen goods at home. You never know when you may need them. The other thing that amazed me was the idiots lining up after Hurricane Wilma went thru Florida, the storm hadn't even cleared the east coast and they were already complaining about lack of water, ice and basic supplies...HELLO! didn't you watch the news?;) I consider my self a survior and while I don't and won't take it to the extremes some people do, I am going to make the best of whatever situation I am in and prepare for it the best I can. Even canning something takes energy...I don't mind raw vegetables, but they aren't going to be available year round as Roody has already pointed out. I think from an economic view a study of what happened in many of the Russian states after the collapse of the Soviet Government is a good example of what we have to look forward to.

Aaron:)

Another thing you might want to check out is CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. Local organic growers sell annual "shares" of their crops. You usually pay up front at the beginning of the season. Then, every week of the growing season, you get a bundle of all the foods that grew on the farm that week. They usually deliver to a central location, and you pick the stuff up on your bike, or you can ride out to the farm and get it.


I just ran across a local farm doing this in my area yesterday. I like the idea, but I'm not entirely sold yet.

It's prepaid, based on $18/week. That's way more than I currently spend on vegetables per week - primarily because the farmers market and decent stores are on the other side of town though. They also haven't finalized their drop location yet.

The location from last year *could* be on my way home, but moving it even 5 miles in the wrong direction would mean a lot of extra riding on non bike-friendly roads.

I also have concerns with quality control in any pre-paid environment. I mean, they have my money. If I don't show up that week they're going to deduct $12 anyway... just doesn't seem condusive to good customer service.

I just ran across a local farm doing this in my area yesterday. I like the idea, but I'm not entirely sold yet.

It's prepaid, based on $18/week. That's way more than I currently spend on vegetables per week - primarily because the farmers market and decent stores are on the other side of town though. They also haven't finalized their drop location yet.

The location from last year *could* be on my way home, but moving it even 5 miles in the wrong direction would mean a lot of extra riding on non bike-friendly roads.

I also have concerns with quality control in any pre-paid environment. I mean, they have my money. If I don't show up that week they're going to deduct $12 anyway... just doesn't seem condusive to good customer service.

Generally the quality is very high--much fresher and "prettier" than what you buy at the supermarket or natural foods store.

But I can sure understand your concerns. So far the organic growers are pretty community oriented. Everybody knows everybody, more or less, so it's easy to check on the honesty and reliability of a grower. You can ride out to the farm and see firsthand what the growing and harvesting conditions are. I would ask about the CSA's policy on refunds and returns before handing over any money.

A couple of the CSAs I talked to claimed that their shares end up costing about half as much as you would pay for the same food if you bought it from them at the farmer's market. Of course it can be a hardship to come up with the $500-$600 as a lump payment.

Another hardship is that you have little say about the specific items you will be getting in a given week. If you only like a few vegetables and fruits, you might be unhappy with being "forced" to accept certain items. But the CSA can probably give you a pretty good idea right at the start of the season, when you pay your money.

Most people don't understand the reason for CSAs. Most US farming is done by large businesses. Every spring they take out big bank loans to cover the year's expenses, then pay back the loans after they harvest their crops. Since Organic growers are small businesses, and much riskier, they don't have the option of taking out bank loans. So they hit on the idea of getting their customers to front the money for spring planting by buying "shares" of the crop.

Some CSAs also perform great community services, which appeals to me. For example, one grower in Dewitt, MI, Giving Tree Farms, provides jobs and educational oportunities to disabled people. I'm thinking of buying a share from them next spring.

^(in response to jeff s)
I understand you being wary, but $18 per week for top quality produce is a steal. Most americans eat crap for produce and don't know the difference. But once you eat fresh from the field you will never go back. Hopefully, this farm treats you right. In my experience, you will get top quality produce from arrangements like this. A small farmer takes pride in the quality of the product they produce.

Now I am biased because my wife runs an Orchard here in NY, but you can also consider a few of those dollars per week as a 'donation' to an open space and quality of life fund.

Quote:"What good is eating organic if it's been trucked 3,000 gas-guzzling miles across the country?"

i absolutly agree/ my wife and i like in okinawa japan and we try to eat as organicly as poss and at the same time supporting small local farms. i work for the airforce so there for have access to the commisary(military supermarket) wich boasts really good prices, but i cant bring myself to by a carton of eggs oraganic or not that where harvested in california, sat in a hopefully refridgerated container for a month or more counting shipped across the pacific ocean and then carted to the supermarket just to save a dollar, you would be suprised on the incerdible amount of ppl that do