Hi Layne, how have you been?! Just wondering if you could blog your thoughts as related to WI on the following articles? I´d love to hear an expert´s view :)
These are the NYT's articles she posted: A Balance Between the Factory and the Local Farm and Push to Eat Local Food Is Hampered by Shortage. I explained I was no expert, but always studying the topic and forwarded her a Civil Eats rebuttal to the first article. The second article was posted this past week.
The first article covers locavorism and while Damon Darlin makes small jabs at those attempting to buy locally, he begs the question - Is eating locally an attainable goal? Let me start by saying: We are lucky to live in Wisconsin! Our state is on the forefront of the good food movement and because of this, purchasing local products that are in season and available should be a priority. We many not have zucchini in March but we can still purchase locally produced cheese, milk, eggs, meat, and root vegetables. Come summer and into fall, we not only have the largest farmer's market in the country (Dane County in Madison), but we have the second or third most farmer's markets as well; offering more affordable, fresher, and tastier options than the grocery store every week. Not all states are so lucky. My friend in the mountains of Colorado would have a hard time sourcing from nearby because the land can't produce the same types of food.
Mr. Darlin's quickness to dismiss people eating this way is quite offensive. It is true that most people in WI cannot eat locally all the time. Few doubt the continuing consumption of bananas, coffee, and tea or that people will still buy tomatoes in december. His story is missing the positive impact these locavores are making by supporting their local farmers, if we lose the farmers, we lose the food.
Mr. Darlin's quickness to dismiss people eating this way is quite offensive. It is true that most people in WI cannot eat locally all the time. Few doubt the continuing consumption of bananas, coffee, and tea or that people will still buy tomatoes in december. His story is missing the positive impact these locavores are making by supporting their local farmers, if we lose the farmers, we lose the food.
Many people fighting for good food understand that major improvements will have to be made to get it into the hands of all people. Smaller, regionalized food systems will need to be developed; a complete overhaul of the current infrastructure will have to be built (Mr. Darlin never mentions that some food can and is produced in greenhouses.) The fight is for awareness and continually working to get these types of infrastructures created. While we're making this happen, I'll being noshing on a tomato from Tony, rather than an ethanol ripened one from Cali. Maybe you should too.
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