GUEST COLUMN BY JOHN STEWARD

GUEST COLUMNS BY JOHN STEWARD

What Does Food Security Mean To You?

posted 12/16/04
During a press release on December 7th Secretary Of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson announced his resignation and highlighted the concerns his predecessor presumably will have to deal with over the next four years. Among these concerns was contamination of the food supply by terrorists.

"I, for the life of me, cannot understand why the terrorists have not, you know, attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do," Thompson said. "And we are importing a lot of food from the Middle East, and it would be easy to tamper with that."

He described inspections of food imports as increased but still "very minute."

I for one find this to be a sobering concern. The fact that we have to worry about the safety of our food from being tainted by terrorist combined with the loss of diversity we see at the supermarket to the risks associated with chemical and pesticide farming really scares me. There are other concern as well. Much of the produce grown these days is farmed using non sustainable methods relying heavily on chemical and pesticide use. They simply lack the nutrition and flavor they once had. This is know as nutrient drain. Homogeneity in the vegetable market is having an effect on the nutritional quality of the foods that are meant to be the wellsprings of health and vitality. Since the early 1900's we have lost a large percentage of our fruit and vegetable varieties. many of these are often adapted to specific climates and purposes. So now many of remaining varieties are bred towards uniformity and long distance shipping.

Genetically, fruits and vegetables are subject to compromise. We cannot expect to have great tasting, disease resistant, high yielding, nutritious, consistently uniform tomatoes that are able to be shipped long distances all rolled into one variety. This is the reason different varieties have been developed. Growers can choose the trade offs that work best for their particular situation. For example, on our farm we grow both heirloom and hybrid tomatoes. The heirlooms have that classic tomato taste, but are more fragile, later yielding and less disease resistant than most of the hybrid varieties. For tomatoes that are to be shipped long distances the concerns are consistent uniformity and holding ability, not flavor and nutrition. The grower is limited to only a few varieties that meet this trade off. This is why super market tomatoes are generally flavorless.

So you may be asking yourself what can I do to protect my food supply and provide my family with nutritious, health-full produce? The first solution would be to start your own home or community garden. For those of you who don't have the time or space the next best solution would be to join a CSA or shop at the farmers market or a local farmstand near you. In short, eat locally and seasonally. simply know where your food is coming from. Your actions add real economic value and strengthen our community by re-creating a regional food system that ensures sustainable farming will remain an economically viable profession in the islands. A profession which is centered in fairness, community, nutrition, sustainability and a healthy local economy. And for me, that is all the security I need.

You Can Make A Difference

John Steward
www.maplerockfarm.com

posted 11/19/04
As I am writing this crude oil has just hit an all time high of $55.00 a barrel. The most common related story related to the rising cost of oil is how it affects the price for the consumer at the pump. There are trickle down effects of higher fuel prices that we rarely here about. Shipping and delivery of goods and services and increased ferry rates are a couple that especially pertain to us here. There seems to be lots of talk about consumption but rarely do you hear the word conservation and what the average consumer can do to reduce our impact on the world.

Here is a simple way you can make an immediate difference for the planet and benefit your local economy and community at the same time. Buy fresh local produce, meat and dairy products from a local source. Currently there are several local farms offering these products on a year round basis. All of these farms and the various products they offer are listed in our new Orcas Island farm products guide, available at many local stores.

Here is how we can all benefit from buying locally produced goods. Today on average our food travels 1500 miles before it reaches the consumer. This is not fresh food! The majority of this produce is grown on a large agribusiness scale. Mechanically tilled, planted, sprayed, harvested, packed and shipped.

Consider not only how much fuel was consumed to produce and bring it to market but also how it was grown. What kinds of chemicals has it been sprayed with? Where was it grown and who grew it? Basically we don't know.

When you buy locally, you can meet the farmer or better yet, visit the farm direct and see where and how your food is grown. Perhaps you would even like to have a hand helping with some farm chores. You can buy beautiful vegetables and fruit that are just hours out of the field. How about some grass fed beef or lamb or free range poultry and eggs? This is Food that is being grown in your community using ecological and sustainable methods.

I like to refer to it simply as fresh and local. Added benefits include reducing the fuel load needed to bring these products to market, Strengthening our community by re-establishing the link between farmers, food and families, Supporting local farming families and workers, reducing your overall food costs and just flat out eating better, more healthful food.

We are all so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place and enjoy such a wonderful bounty of food. Please join me in supporting our local producers and growers that add to the diversity of our lives.

news @sanjuanislander.com

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