Comments on: Locavores – Eating Locally http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2010/03/07/locavores-eating-local/ Organic Grocery Market, Shop Local, Small Farms, Family Farms Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:01:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Laybourn http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2010/03/07/locavores-eating-local/#comment-6082 Michael Laybourn Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:35:45 +0000 http://organictobe.org/?p=1205#comment-6082 Nice article, Jeff. Wendell Berry, who I call the real conservative (in the best sense) is always such a clean writer, who always states it perfectly. As to costs, Americans have to lose the idea that cheapest is best, or they will be stuck in Food Max forever. The true costs of big ag are not in the price(cleanup and depleted soil) just as the costs of coal are not in the price of electricity. Those costs are subsidized by the taxpayers. With the same subsidies, solar is less expensive. It seems to be extremely important now to develop local economies that support local farms. Up here in Mendocino County, we are working on a meat packing plant and soon, I hope, thinking about creating a power authority like Marin County did. Imagine all that money staying in the County... Check out some of my articles on Dave's Ukiah Blog. Cheers, Michael Nice article, Jeff. Wendell Berry, who I call the real conservative (in the best sense) is always such a clean writer, who always states it perfectly.
As to costs, Americans have to lose the idea that cheapest is best, or they will be stuck in Food Max forever. The true costs of big ag are not in the price(cleanup and depleted soil) just as the costs of coal are not in the price of electricity. Those costs are subsidized by the taxpayers. With the same subsidies, solar is less expensive.
It seems to be extremely important now to develop local economies that support local farms. Up here in Mendocino County, we are working on a meat packing plant and soon, I hope, thinking about creating a power authority like Marin County did. Imagine all that money staying in the County… Check out some of my articles on Dave’s Ukiah Blog.
Cheers,
Michael

]]> By: Jan Steinman http://www.yourlocalmarketblog.com/2010/03/07/locavores-eating-local/#comment-6076 Jan Steinman Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:53:20 +0000 http://organictobe.org/?p=1205#comment-6076 Part of consumer education is that, at least for now, locally-produced food costs more. That's often a bitter pill for even middle-class folk to swallow, and may be an impossibility for poor people. Another weight around local food is the gentrification of farmland. Here in SW BC, we are struggling to save our farm, which we bought co-operatively with a large balloon payment, hoping to sell more shares in the co-op to pay the balloon. But people can't even afford a $100,000 share in a co-op farm these days, because well-off city folk bid up the prices in order to have their country estate getaway with a few horses and maybe a vineyard. Having failed at attracting large investors, we went to a community meeting on growing food locally, and a big topic was "micro-loans" -- many, many, individual loans of $500 or so at slightly above savings account rates. But then the securities regulators take an interest. If anyone has some ideas for keeping land in food production under such circumstances, please contact me via our website: http://www.EcoReality.org . Part of consumer education is that, at least for now, locally-produced food costs more. That’s often a bitter pill for even middle-class folk to swallow, and may be an impossibility for poor people.

Another weight around local food is the gentrification of farmland. Here in SW BC, we are struggling to save our farm, which we bought co-operatively with a large balloon payment, hoping to sell more shares in the co-op to pay the balloon. But people can’t even afford a $100,000 share in a co-op farm these days, because well-off city folk bid up the prices in order to have their country estate getaway with a few horses and maybe a vineyard.

Having failed at attracting large investors, we went to a community meeting on growing food locally, and a big topic was “micro-loans” — many, many, individual loans of $500 or so at slightly above savings account rates. But then the securities regulators take an interest.

If anyone has some ideas for keeping land in food production under such circumstances, please contact me via our website: http://www.EcoReality.org .

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