Are You A Locavore?
August 1, 2008
A little known aspect of the Patriot Act and one of the few good things to come from it was a section on making our food supply more secure by emphasizing local food production. The thinking was that locally produced food is less susceptible to being interrupted by terrorists between the field and the table. As usual the government was behind the learning curve. The exploding farmers’ market phenomenon has long been promoting locally grown food as not only better for local economies, but fresher, healthier and more secure. The last being a side benefit that comes with decreasing our dependency on imported oil. With food traveling an average of 1,500 miles to get to our tables - long before terrorists and the price of gas and food became an issue - many people realized the stabilizing aspects of acquiring food locally. About the time the Farmers Market phenomenon began getting traction in the early ‘90’s, those of us in the natural building movement were raising similar concerns about where the materials we use to build our houses comes from. Now everything is coming under the scrutiny of the “local” magnifying glass and I predict clothing will be the next major topic to be examined.
Food security, gas prices, food prices, and local economics - these issues have compelled many to become locavores or; one who derives their food locally. Jessica Prentice coined this term in San Francisco at World Environment Day in 2005. The New Oxford American Dictionary deemed all of this sufficiently important to declare “locavore” the best new word of 2007. Already the connotation of a locavore is evolving to; one who derives all of their needs locally.
Buying locally produced goods or services from a locally owned business or farm greatly improves the chances that your money will cycle through the local economy and end up back in your pocket. This recycling of money in the local economy is inherently stabilizing to that economy and promotes local autonomy. Conversely, spending money locally on products made by corporations that are sold at local retail stores sends much of your money to far flung corporate headquarters. I occasionally consult with people who want to build sustainable homes. Some have innocently asked me if Home Depot counts as a local resource. Umm, no. Purchasing goods made far away that were shipped to a local retail store is part of the problem, not part of the solution. In the case of spending money with a local business that is not locally owned, chances are good that an even greater percentage of your money will leave the local economy, with only the money paid to local employees and perhaps some ad revenue remaining behind. In both cases much of what you pay will never be seen in the local economy again. This hurts local producers of similar goods and hampers economic development of your home town. Compare these examples to the local producer whose entire life’s investment is in his local community, greatly compounding his positive economic impact.
One can begin to see how a large number of folks making prudent use of their purchasing power can create positive change that benefits everyone. Granted, not everything one needs can always be produced locally. However, often one can find a locally available used version or substitute, or a neighbor who has extra produce, eggs, goat milk or beef from their cattle.
In small local economies farmers often cannot make a living if they are required to fulfill expensive government regulations. This is unfortunate because they usually know all of their customers by name. It behooves the farmer to not sell a bad product because the small clientele base could quickly evaporate due to a bad reputation. Additionally, if people knew how commercial meat, eggs and milk are produced in crowded, disease ridden, industrial farms verses the small local producer whose animals often have room to roam and access to natural food sources which results in healthier food for the consumer, they would likely choose to buy from their local non-licensed producers over licensed industrial producers.
Fortunately other options do exist. Many small communities are well suited to developing cooperative groups that can take advantage of local resources, especially at this time of year when everyone’s garden is overflowing. Folks with excess produce can get together and swap produce for eggs, milk, meat or other goods and services. To get the ball rolling, I propose we start such a group in Arivaca. Initially this cooperative might want to focus on locally produced food, but it seems natural for it to evolve and fulfill more of our needs. Some of us have been talking about this for some time and we are arranging to acquire locally produced grass fed beef, eggs and produce through this group. If you are interested in participating, go to www.ArivacaLocal.org.
As for locally owned and operated farms, one of our best sources in the Arivaca area is “Forever Yong” farm near the end of Moyza Ranch Road. John and Yong Rueb have operated this organic farm for nearly ten years and offer a wide variety of seasonal vegetables. When purchased at the farm, prices are about half of what you would pay at a retail store. Yep, that’s organically grown produce for less than what you would pay for chemically grown produce from a grocery store. Call 398-8030 for an appointment.
Another local resource that I often make use of is Larry Beckelman’s’ salvage yard. For many years Larry has salvaged old buildings and other materials locally. Through the years I have purchased fencing, roofing, lumber and numerous other useful things from him. His prices are less than what you would pay for the same material new and when you add in the gas savings and the boost to our local economy, it becomes a wise option.
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