AERO KUFM Commentary Archives

AERO KUFM Commentary

June 2006

What's So Great About Local Food ?

by Laura Garber

Hello, my name is Laura Garber and I have a small certified organic vegetable farm just south of Hamilton. I sell my fresh produce through a CSA and at the Hamilton and Missoula farmers’ markets. I enjoy the relationships I have developed with my customers over the years and greatly value the time we have to share ideas and information each Saturday morning.

Recently, several different people have asked me my opinion about the importance of locally grown foods and questioned the value of buying organically grown foods. People are wondering about the state of agriculture in Montana and want to know what their role can and should be in the continued development of local food systems. These are vital questions, and the answers affect both farmers and consumers across the state.

In talking with the people see every weekend, I have come to understand my own place in the whole food puzzle a little better. I have also learned to respect and appreciate the place of other area farmers and ranchers. We are an odd grouping of people who have decided to play chance with the shifty Montana weather in an attempt to provide for ourselves and for our communities. One thing that all Montana farmers have in common, though, is our importance to the health of this state, both through the foods we grow and the dollars we help circulate in the Montana economy.

Buying Montana-grown and -raised foods supports farmers and ranchers and strengthens the farm businesses that supply them. Building demand for these foods encourages farmers to grow a little bit more and sets the stage for more farmers and ranchers to take the huge leap of faith, and the tad bit of craziness, that is required to make a life out of growing foods for their community. Eating what we can grow here helps us reduce our dependence on outside sources of food as well as large distributors that rely on the subsidized cost of fuel.

Several labels have been developed to help consumers identify foods that are grown in state by hard-working Montana farmers. AERO has worked to create the “Buy Fresh Buy Local Montana” label. The Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign also helps place placards in stores, restaurants, and farmers markets so buyers know where to look for Montana-grown foods. This signage can be found from Hamilton to Billings and helps to unite consumers with the overall effort to provide more food from within the state.

A newly formed group in western Montana has coined the label “Homegrown.” The new label will help highlight growers who are choosing to use earth-friendly farming practices and selling their foods locally. This effort mirrors those of other farmer groups across the country. It helps bring a sense of community between the farmers themselves as well as with the customers they serve.

In addition, Montana Department of Agriculture operates its own organic “Montana Certified Organic” program that certifies farmers, ranchers, food processors and handlers, and even grocery stores. The department also works hard to bring the ideas and an understanding of sustainable agriculture to large and small farmers around Montana. Buying Montana-grown farm products labeled “Certified Organic” helps support not only the growers who use sustainable farming practices, but also the wider farming community through the department’s educational and outreach efforts.

As consumers, you have the ability to bring about change through the use of your dollars. The state of agriculture in Montana improves with each new local customer farmers serve. So, next time you are shopping at the store, look for the Buy Fresh Buy Local sign. Choose Montana Certified Organic foods over out of state organic foods and recognize the broader effects this support. At the farmers market, ask your farmers about their practices and support their homegrown efforts to connect with each other and with you. Tell your favorite restaurant to buy and serve locally grown foods. Learn to eat locally and enjoy the abundance Montana can provide us all!

I believe in the strength and ability of this state to provide for itself a secure food system and healthy economy. As a farmer, I hope to add to that with my own hard work, and I look forward to talking with you more about it next Saturday morning.

For the Alternative Energy Resources Organization, I want to thank your for listening and encourage you to contact AERO in Helena at 406–443–7272 for more information about sustainable farming. The Abundant Montana directory that lists of farmers and ranchers in your area can also be found on AERO’s website at WWW. AEROMT.ORG. AERO is working to make Montana agriculture strong, viable, and sustainable for the future.