I’ve wondered who’s going to grow food if the farms are all turned into subdivisions. I’ve thought about Sustainable Agriculture, and trying to maintain a positive balance with the ecology.
I’m more and more convinced that the more food you can buy locally, the better off you are.
Why bother? What does it matter where your food comes from? Well, have you listened to the news lately? How many food items have been recalled in the last year?
The USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service has about 38 items listed on their recalls for this year alone, and the year’s not over. The FDA also has several food items on their recall list, along with pet foods and pharmaceuticals. The food recalls are made for reasons varying from mislabeling and undeclared allergens, to some serious pathogens like e. coli, listeria, and Staphylococcus aureus.
When growing food becomes big business, and food is coming from world-wide sources, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain quality control, to know where exactly the food came from, how it was handled from start to finish, and what exactly is in it, not to mention the impact on the planet from whatever production methods were used, such as high pesticide use.
Buying locally doesn’t guarantee good food, but it does give you an idea where your food came from and a person to question about how the food was grown.
That is not to say buying local is the only answer. There are some big farms out there growing quality food, trying to lessen their impact on the environment, and building a trustworthy reputation with their customers. We need more of these!
An example is the Robinson Farm on Prince Edward Island. They have a fascinating blog about the potatoes they grow. I was especially intrigued with the “Smart Spud,” a sort of genius electronic Mr. Potato Head. It’s put through the process with the other potatoes, and the data from the Smart Spud tells them where the potatoes are getting banged up and bruised. Cool, huh?
I’m sure most people would have trouble right now buying all their food from known and trusted sources alone. Hopefully such products will become more widely available as the market for quality food grows with more and more people becoming concerned about what they consume. We need farmers, big and small, who are willing to balance their need for profit with a stewardship of the land, and growing food that nourishes, not sickens, people.
It’s just good to know if your food came from a source you can trust.
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Thanks for writing about us! I'd just like to clarify one point, though. Our blog is not just about the Robinson farm. FoodTrust works with a group of about 30 – 40 farm-partners to brand and market their products. In exchange for their willingness to manage their farm operation in a way that promotes sustainability, they receive a better price for their products.
I will be writing about several of our partners in the future, so visit often.
We'll also be starting a new series soon on the history of agriculture on P.E.I., on the theme "For generations people have trusted Islanders to grow and harvest food that nurtures the body and soul." You'll be surprised how far our food products have traveled, even 100 years ago!
Thanks again!
Scott