Groxie

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about food. I’ve been obsessed with food and food production for quite some time, but as magazines, blogs, and newpapers begin to feature drool–worthy holiday recipes, the intensity of my obsession manages to creep up a notch or two. At the same time, I’m feeling abandoned by the food I so desperately love.

Living in Charlottesville, I was lucky to have my choice of CSA programs in the spring. My CSA provided me with fresh local veggies each week. Also, the farmer’s markets were open every weekend until October in Charlottesville and nearby Scottsville.

Now, with no CSA or farmer’s market to turn to, I struggle to find any local produce. Now, I’m trying to buy from the east coast, sometimes just from this continent. I’m frustrated by my own “Eat Local” mantra. I keep thinking about how much better it must be in our soon-to-be home of Portland with the moderate weather and longer growing season. But what about Charlottesville and the myriad other (and even worse off) communities that don’t have the climate to grow produce year-round?

The answer is to invest in agricultural infrastructure that allows farmers to extend the growing season. Tom Philpott over at Grist wrote a thoughtful piece on this topic in August. He points out the problems that small farms have getting together the capital to invest in this kind of improvement.

This is where I think we come in. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), part of the USDA’s state cooperative extension program, has a competitive grant program that local farmers can apply for. While this is a great start, there isn’t nearly enough money being channeled to SARE compared to conventional agriculture. Many individual states also have grant programs, but these too, are poorly funded.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has an easy way for you to contact your representatives about the upcoming 2007 farm bill to demand more financial support for SARE. The letter encourages the support of innovative, sustainable farms; you can customize it with your own conerns and ideas. Please take a moment to fill it out.

Philpott also has some useful ideas on how to get your community involved in working on local food structure. In the meantime, continue to ask for local produce from your supermarket. And if you’re a skilled grant proposal writer, consider helping out a local farm!