Just as there are many people in this country who hate Walmart, there are many more who love it. Where else can you go and buy everything you need in one spot? Somewhere there is a little boy or girl who believes that items such as apples, carrots, and lettuce come from bins in supermarkets where automatic misters spray dew over them. All of the access that we have to food (a luxury for some) is viewed as a good thing, but is it realistic? Agribusiness and major supermarket chains are dependent on fossil fuels, which are non renewable. It is only logical to think that when fossil fuels are on their last legs, so will be the long distance transportation of food. Sooner or later (rather sooner) there is going to be a need for a major reform of how we think of our food as well as how it is grown and produced.
I believe that the seeds of the “food revolution” are growing and beginning to flourish. The proof of this is in cities such as Portland, Oregon (the one in Maine too) and restaurants like The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia where, when in season, 70 percent of the menu is from local farmers. In the book Eat Here, by Brian Halweil, he talks about Centerville Farmers Market in Lincoln, Nebraska. It is here that a collective of local farmers and food producers sell their products in one spot. The concept is genius and gives consumers the same easy access to food that they have at places like Walmart, with the knowledge of exactly where the food came from and even who grew it.
The word “global” pops up quite a few times in Halweil’s text and I can’t help but wonder if globalization and the commoditization of food is the problem. It’s not just the States, but also many other countries that are dealing with their own food revolutions. Chef Jamie Oliver has helped bring awareness and change within the school lunch system in England. Farmers in Norway are slowly starting to realize that they have the power to influence and educate by marketing directly to the consumers. During my stay in Sligo County, Ireland, last year I saw for myself the changes that are slowly taking place when it comes to the environment and food. Painfully slow reform is taking place, but for now we will still be receiving apples from China even though we are capable of growing them ourselves.
Article comments
1 - Kate
Well said, Olithia. Great to see a chef into the locavore movement. Did you see the article in the NYTimes about the difficulty small farmers have with getting their livestock butchered?
2 - LazaroCooks!
Wonderful article. I am a huge proponent of eco-friendly sustainable foods. Small farmers and local markets are the future.
3 - Joanne Huspek
The sentiments are worthwhile and I get the locavore movement. I grow my own when possible, and harvest some if I can keep the critters out of my urban garden. However, in my area of the Tundra, we have winter five months out of the year. If we were to go total local, that would mean some pretty lean and unappealing meals from October through April. I am a food snob, and while a trucked in tomato or strawberry won't hold a candle to the homegrown variety, I'll take that over sausage gravy any day.
4 - Olithia Rose
Thanks Joanne for the comment. I totally understand what you mean about not having access to certain produce during the year because of location. It's much easier to become a "locavore" when you live in places like California or Florida where the growing season is extended. In this day and age it's unrealistic to live off of root vegetables and canned goods all winter long or to deny the average consumer their tomato past the summer months. However, I wonder how long the current system will last and how much people are willing to pay for groceries as gas prices rise?
- Oh and to Kate... I did see the article! :)