Before you sit down to your next meal, consider what’s on your plate. Do you know where the food you are about to eat came from?
COMPARABLE PRICE TAGS
PRESERVING VALUABLE RESOURCES
YOU’VE GOT TO MOVE IT
Sure, the pork chop originated on a farm and the veggies were taken from the ground. But do you really know how it was raised and how many miles it traveled to arrive on your family’s table? Many of us go to the grocery store and don’t even think twice about the origins of the food that finds its way onto our tables. But if it meant sacrificing the state of your local economy, health and even future generations, would you consider alternatives?
It’s not uncommon for the foods in your pantry and refrigerator to have gone around the globe before finally landing in your grocery cart: beef from Nebraska, fruit from South America, greens from California. A 2001 study conducted by Iowa State University’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture found that the average pound of produce travels approximately 1,500 miles before it even touches your tongue.
With impassioned residents and a multitude of farmers practicing sustainable agriculture right here, it’s easy for Oklahomans to help maintain and enhance the local economy with our energy source: food. The local food movement is sweeping the country.
“The number of agricultural producers pursuing direct sales either on-farm or at farmers’ markets is increasing,” said Terry Peach, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture.
In fact, the latest U.S. Census of Agriculture shows a 209 percent increase in direct sales for Oklahoma farms from 2002 to 2007, and a 66 percent increase in the number of Oklahoma producers that are selling direct to the public. Year-round and seasonal farmers’ markets are abundant with local and organic produce, as well as homemade goods with the freshest Oklahoma ingredients. There are 55 farmers’ markets statewide ” 51 of them 100 percent state-grown ” registered with the organization OK Grown.
“Eating locally and supporting local producers means keeping revenue in our economy, which, therefore, increases the wealth and buying power of the community,” Peach said. “To put it another way, your food dollar will go to the source where it was produced.”
COMPARABLE PRICE TAGS
The price tags of locally grown foods are comparable ” and sometimes cost less ” with the retail price at the store. According to The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s 2006 Closer to Home report, if Oklahoma households spent an extra 10 percent of their food budget on locally grown products each year, millions would go to local farmers and stimulate the local economy.
There are a myriad of reasons besides the economic value to eat local.
“Oklahoma citizens should know that eating local foods improves their quality of life,” said Bob Davis, local foods chair for Sustainable East Oklahoma County, a chapter of the Oklahoma Sustainability Network, and steering committee chair to bring a Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter to the Oklahoma City area. “Shopping at farmers’ markets and other locations where locally grown produce can be purchased connects customers to the people and processes that provide their nutrition and health. They also allow consumers to make a connection to the rich resources of our state’s rural areas.”
That communication is evident at the many markets around the state, including the year-round OSU-OKC Farmers’ Market open every Saturday on North Portland Avenue.
“There’s just something unique about a farmers’ market,” said Cheryl Camp, OSU-OKC Farmers’ Market manager. “Customers know who grew their food and can ask questions. It’s a matter of trust and community there.”
There are endless health benefits to eating fresh, local produce. Upon harvesting, crops begin to deplete their store of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, the fresher the food, the better it is for our health ” and our taste buds.
“There is a huge difference in taste and quality when something is fresh,” Camp said, who can’t get enough of fresh green beans and juicy homegrown peaches. “Once you taste that difference, you’re hooked on that freshness.”
Not only are newly harvested crops better for our bodies, but they are better for the environment, too. According to the organization Sustainable Table, 23 percent of the energy used in food production is spent on processing and packaging food. While we’re spending all that energy, we create more carbon dioxide emissions. When practicing sustainable agriculture, farmers provide food in ways that are both economically and ecologically healthy for the long term by limiting carbon emissions; using little or no fertilizer, herbicides or pesticides; conserving resources and encouraging biodiversity, all while increasing profit and reducing risks.
PRESERVING VALUABLE RESOURCES
These goals of preserving valuable resources are important to Oklahoma’s future, so they can be shared with generations to come.
“Visiting markets and farms with children allow them to understand how food is grown and picked, that it does not come from a bag, a box or a supermarket shelf,” said Davis, who is helping to establish a new farmers’ market in Midwest City. “Knowing the value of local food helps consumers understand that we can avoid many concerns that shouldn’t be passed down to the next generation, like pesticide pollution in waterways, soil depletion and CO2 emissions.”
Farmers’ markets provide Oklahomans the benefits of eating locally to help the environment, improve health and stimulate the economy, but even further, they create a sense of family and community.
“The market is such a neat place. When you look around, everyone is very happy,” Camp said. “It’s a place where customers know your name and the vendors know the customer.”
In the height of summer, more than 35 vendors fill the OSU-OKC Farmers’ Market. Other markets overflow with fresh produce and unique goods. From homemade salsas, jams and baked goods to freshly picked fruits and vegetables, a stunning variety exists. Local organic beef, lamb, cheeses and yogurts are difficult to find anywhere else.
“Farmers’ markets are a chance to slow down the pace of life and enjoy the fruit of Oklahoma,” Davis said. “Be fresh. Buy first from your local producers, and then make the trip, if you must, to a local grocer for things not grown locally, like tropical fruit.”
YOU’VE GOT TO MOVE IT
Join in the local foods movement and help Oklahoma. Here are some simple ways to help.
Farmers’ markets: The simplest way to help the local economy and enjoy eating local is to visit a weekly farmers’ market. Food co-op: Join the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, where one can purchase more than 2,500 food and non-food products made in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Oklahoma Sustainability Network : Get involved through volunteering, attending local events or donating. Slow Food OKC: Join the nonprofit initiative that preserves food traditions and supports local artisans who grow, produce, market, prepare and serve wholesome foods. Slow Food Oklahoma City also encourages the enjoyment of pure foods that are local, seasonal and organically grown.
“Valerie Kramer Davis
This article appears in Mar 25-31, 2009.