2010 Sowing Edition
Author: Dave Delozier |
The Sowing season is here, so gardeners and farmers are busy preparing their plots and fields to receive the seeds that will produce food months in the months ahead. It is a ritual that mankind has repeated for generations. It is a dedication of both time and money for what is the most important investment of all – growing healthy food in abundance. There is a lot of talk about food security lately, with news of food recalls, chaotic weather, and volatile commodity markets. How secure is our food supply? With most of our food being trucked in from miles away, all it takes is a little disruption in the system – a fuel shortage, a widespread flood or other disaster, a new pesticide resistant super bug that wipes out our monoculture mega farms…actually all of these things are looming on the horizon, which is why the anxiety level is pretty high for those who are paying attention to these things. And if these potential calamities weren’t bad enough, the industrial food that we’ve become addicted to as a nation is slowly killing us.
The answer to these crises is to seek food sources that are both sustainable for your health, and sustainable for the planet. Fortunately, in our region, one does not need to go further than one of the many farms and community Farmers Markets in our midst. Here you’ll find the freshest produce and meats that will not only provide you with nutrition, but will increase our local food security. By spending 10% or more of your food budget with local producers, you help insure that the local food supply and marketplace remains vibrant and productive. A vibrant local food economy creates local jobs, preserves open space, sequesters carbon, produces life giving oxygen, and can save your life. Locally produced food is proven to be more nutritious than long distance trucked food. Eat it and you be well fed!
We are fortunate to have a rather large “foodshed” from which to draw from here in eastern New York. The two great river watersheds of New York, the Hudson and Mohawk, merge together here, providing rich soils and ample water supply, yielding some of the best growing conditions in the Eastern US. In this issue, we have put together a special Farm to Fork Guide to show off this region’s best farm and food resources. The participants within this guide have chosen to be listed herein, because they want to do business with you. These producers, shopkeepers and restaurateurs all are striving to deliver the best possible food to you, using sustainable and environmentally safe practices. I find it amazing to have so many caring stewards of our land, water and air dedicating their lives to bring to us their labor of love – true, decent, wholesome food. We ask that you use the Farm to Fork Guide as your resource for connecting with the local living lifestyle. Whether you are a newbie to Buy Local scene, or a veteran local foodie who is living “La Vida Local,” there is an opportunity here for you to discover something new that will change your life for the better. The listed vendors are people of wisdom and humble grace. Their passion for their craft will move you, and their products and life’s work are willingly shared with you. Pick a place that you don’t know and give them a call. Ask questions. Tell them your story, and listen as they share theirs. The relationship you have just developed will be lifelong. It’s all here for you.
In the Spring issue, an error was made in the author credits for the cover story about The Saratoga Winery – that story was written by Amy L. Stock. You can find more Amy’s work in this issue. Thank you for reading, and caring. Please let the advertisers herein know that you appreciate them supporting the eco-local mission!
In This Issue
An Open Letter to Farmers Markets
Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 August 2011 17:50)
