"The current upwelling of support for localizing our food system, for higher quality, sustainably produced, more nutritious food, for fair prices for producers, and for access to good food for all, calls for a reordering of priorities in our food system—essentially taking ownership and control starting on the local level."
Notes from Local Food Sustainability Dialogue
City Council Chambers, 10 September 2009, 5:30-7:30 PM
Invitation (sent out 1 September):
We would like to invite you to participate in a discussion of how we can take ownership and control of our local food system. Some of you may have seen the recent movie, “Food, Inc” or saw the Herald’s article about it. You may have read Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma.” My personal reaction to both was that of feeling manipulated by forces outside our local area determining food and farm policy, prices that I pay for food, low returns for farmers, and what food is readily available in the conventional food supply—a feeling of lack of control.
The current upwelling of support for localizing our food system, for higher quality, sustainably produced, more nutritious food, for fair prices for producers, and for access to good food for all, calls for a reordering of priorities in our food system—essentially taking ownership and control starting on the local level.
This discussion will take place at the City Council Chambers on 10 Sept from 5:30-7:30 PM as part of the Sustainability Alliance’s La Plata Sustainability Dialogue. We will have a chance to discuss what local “ownership” might look like and how we can achieve it. An immediate outcome of this discussion will be providing input on local food goals to the County’s Comprehensive Planning
process later this month.
We would like to invite you to participate in a discussion of how we can take ownership and control of our local food system. Some of you may have seen the recent movie, “Food, Inc” or saw the Herald’s article about it. You may have read Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma.” My personal reaction to both was that of feeling manipulated by forces outside our local area determining food and farm policy, prices that I pay for food, low returns for farmers, and what food is readily available in the conventional food supply—a feeling of lack of control.
The current upwelling of support for localizing our food system, for higher quality, sustainably produced, more nutritious food, for fair prices for producers, and for access to good food for all, calls for a reordering of priorities in our food system—essentially taking ownership and control starting on the local level.
This discussion will take place at the City Council Chambers on 10 Sept from 5:30-7:30 PM as part of the Sustainability Alliance’s La Plata Sustainability Dialogue. We will have a chance to discuss what local “ownership” might look like and how we can achieve it. An immediate outcome of this discussion will be providing input on local food goals to the County’s Comprehensive Planning
process later this month.
Introduction
Approximately 32 people attended this discussion designed to gather stakeholder thoughts on what “Taking Control” means to them and on the 1) values, 2) current activities, 3) assumptions, and 4) required fundamental changes involved in building our local food system.
Below are lists of items brought up, lightly edited (but not word-smithed) by Jim Dyer — thanks to Jenny Wrenn for recording on flipcharts.
“Taking Control of Our Food System” Discussion
During introductions, participants suggested alternate phrases: “Taking Control of Your Food System” or …of My Food System.”
1) Values, broadly defined, involved in local food systems:
Nutrition
Access
Affordability
Fair prices for producers
Fair prices for consumers
Fair treatment of farm workers
Climate friendly
Seasonal
Energy efficient & conserving
Sustainable
Local
Organic
Culturally appropriate
Conserving of air quality
water quality and quantity
soil
wildlife and biodiversity
agricultural land
open space
Self-sufficient (community and individual)
Healthy economy
Value
Choice
Humane
Community
Knowledge of food and agriculture
Quality of life
Plentiful
Viability for producers
2) What’s happening now:
Farm to School
Farm to College
Land Link
Beginner (& Growing) farmer programs
Composting & soil building
Gleaning
Education:
Homegrown Festival
Iron Horse Chef
Tour de Farms, etc.
Be Local coupon book
“Fresh” movie (showing 5 Oct)
Local food in restaurants
Local food in stores
Wild food harvesting
CSAs
Community gardens
Backyard gardens
Farm to Chef programs
Durango Cooks TV show
Mesa Verde Guide to producers
Farmers markets
3) Assumptions, very broadly defined, involved in local food system development (includes those thought to be accurate as well as inaccurate):
Local control is best
We know best
We aren’t in control
Regulation helps
Everyone else will agree
People care
The market will help
“Safe food” is a universal value
People care about community
Ag land and water is available
Information is accurate
People are powerless in the market
Our diet choices are good
Trust our present system
We can produce what we need
Big business drives the system
Locally grown is only for the elite
Cheaper is better
Prices reflect true costs
Everyone can grow their own food
Everyone wants to grow their own food
Local groups have power
We can only eat locally three months a year
We need full variety all year
Organic is best
Organic is sustainable
4) Fundamental issues and changes needed, ie., “the hard things to do” to build a local food system:
Cultural identity with food
Cheap food policy
Time spent on growing, cooking, preserving, etc.
Increase local processing & marketing
Value ag land & preserve it
Education on the food system
Water for ag
Livable wages for farmers, year-round
Livable wages for consumers
Well organized, targeted meetings
Tie food to health issues
Tie food to climate, energy, land use
Deal with corporate influence in the food system
Change values of consumers
Change behavior of consumers
Local, state, and federal policy and regulatory improvements
Grow supply and demand together
Eat seasonally
Reduce total energy use in food system, not just fossil fuel use
Consider product life cycle
Get accurate info to public
Fund unbiased, objective research
Reform local relationships with explicit values
Relationship marketing: producer-consumer
Approximately 32 people attended this discussion designed to gather stakeholder thoughts on what “Taking Control” means to them and on the 1) values, 2) current activities, 3) assumptions, and 4) required fundamental changes involved in building our local food system.
Below are lists of items brought up, lightly edited (but not word-smithed) by Jim Dyer — thanks to Jenny Wrenn for recording on flipcharts.
“Taking Control of Our Food System” Discussion
During introductions, participants suggested alternate phrases: “Taking Control of Your Food System” or …of My Food System.”
1) Values, broadly defined, involved in local food systems:
Nutrition
Access
Affordability
Fair prices for producers
Fair prices for consumers
Fair treatment of farm workers
Climate friendly
Seasonal
Energy efficient & conserving
Sustainable
Local
Organic
Culturally appropriate
Conserving of air quality
water quality and quantity
soil
wildlife and biodiversity
agricultural land
open space
Self-sufficient (community and individual)
Healthy economy
Value
Choice
Humane
Community
Knowledge of food and agriculture
Quality of life
Plentiful
Viability for producers
2) What’s happening now:
Farm to School
Farm to College
Land Link
Beginner (& Growing) farmer programs
Composting & soil building
Gleaning
Education:
Homegrown Festival
Iron Horse Chef
Tour de Farms, etc.
Be Local coupon book
“Fresh” movie (showing 5 Oct)
Local food in restaurants
Local food in stores
Wild food harvesting
CSAs
Community gardens
Backyard gardens
Farm to Chef programs
Durango Cooks TV show
Mesa Verde Guide to producers
Farmers markets
3) Assumptions, very broadly defined, involved in local food system development (includes those thought to be accurate as well as inaccurate):
Local control is best
We know best
We aren’t in control
Regulation helps
Everyone else will agree
People care
The market will help
“Safe food” is a universal value
People care about community
Ag land and water is available
Information is accurate
People are powerless in the market
Our diet choices are good
Trust our present system
We can produce what we need
Big business drives the system
Locally grown is only for the elite
Cheaper is better
Prices reflect true costs
Everyone can grow their own food
Everyone wants to grow their own food
Local groups have power
We can only eat locally three months a year
We need full variety all year
Organic is best
Organic is sustainable
4) Fundamental issues and changes needed, ie., “the hard things to do” to build a local food system:
Cultural identity with food
Cheap food policy
Time spent on growing, cooking, preserving, etc.
Increase local processing & marketing
Value ag land & preserve it
Education on the food system
Water for ag
Livable wages for farmers, year-round
Livable wages for consumers
Well organized, targeted meetings
Tie food to health issues
Tie food to climate, energy, land use
Deal with corporate influence in the food system
Change values of consumers
Change behavior of consumers
Local, state, and federal policy and regulatory improvements
Grow supply and demand together
Eat seasonally
Reduce total energy use in food system, not just fossil fuel use
Consider product life cycle
Get accurate info to public
Fund unbiased, objective research
Reform local relationships with explicit values
Relationship marketing: producer-consumer
Next Steps
1) This feedback has already been used to provide food system goal suggestions to the County Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee meeting on 21 Sept., and will be used to inform the development of strategies in that ongoing process. We urge you to be involved in this County effort.
2) Healthy Lifestyles La Plata, Growing Partners, and other local food groups will be using this stakeholder feedback in developing policy recommendations as well as educational and networking activities in the community as part of their efforts to further develop our local food system.
3) Healthy Community Food Systems will use this information to develop strategic, systems-based planning and implementation guidance for our community and communities across the Four Corners region as a partner of the Southwest Marketing Network.
2) Healthy Lifestyles La Plata, Growing Partners, and other local food groups will be using this stakeholder feedback in developing policy recommendations as well as educational and networking activities in the community as part of their efforts to further develop our local food system.
3) Healthy Community Food Systems will use this information to develop strategic, systems-based planning and implementation guidance for our community and communities across the Four Corners region as a partner of the Southwest Marketing Network.
Compiled by Jim Dyer, Healthy Community Food Systems, 2727 CR 134, Hesperus, CO 81326 • 970-588-2292, jadyer@frontier.net