(This article orginally appeared in the Chronicle Journal supplement, Horizons).
A few weeks ago, Jian Ghomeshi mediated a debate on the disadvantages of eating locally on the CBC radio program “Q”. The program featured, Pierre Desrochers, an economic geographer and author who claims that
the locavore movement is harmful to our modern food system and doesn’t make sense on an economic or agricultural basis. As I madly scribbled notes refuting his arguments, I wanted to shout-out: eating local makes sense! Derochers asserted that we have romanticized the notion of “know your farmer” and that farmers are just too busy and tired to interact with customers. I’d agree that any farmer who earns their living from the land is
extremely busy and tired at this time of year; but they’re always happy to take a minute to explain their growing practices, discuss favourite vegetable
varieties or cuts of meat and recommend the best cooking methods for their
products. Farming is a 24 hour a day (there’s a narrow window for seeding fields, cows can calve in the middle of the night and strawberries may need frost protecting), 365 day a year profession; so farmers must love their work. I’d argue that farmers want to get to know their consumers (or co-producers as they’re known within the Slow Food movement) and discussing production methods with “your” farmer is the best way to ensure you’re eating real food, produced in a sustainable manner.
Economic geographers can argue that shipping food across the continent or half-way around the world is economically feasible due to economies of scaleand the efficiencies of modern freighters and therefore, eating local isn’t necessary. This theory requires one to ignore the important measures of flavour and nutritional content. Food grown and ripened locally will always win the taste war and be nutritionally superior to that of its industrial agriculture counterparts. If you don’t believe that local food tastes better, I challenge you to purchase a clamshell of strawberries from California and do a blind taste comparison with a basket of local berries. You’ll be able to tell the difference before you even take a bite! The strawberries grown in Thunder Bay will be fully ripened and have a pronounced sweet aroma. Notice the amazing taste profile of the locally picked berries (there is often a honey essence), they may be small in size, but they pack a mighty flavour punch.
Wine experts often discuss terroir, which roughly refers to taste
of the land. The soil and climate conditions and farming techniques specific to our region impart a unique flavour profile or terroir to the fruits,
vegetables and meat and dairy products produced within the region. The soil that our farmers have nurtured and cared for makes available a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that will end up in our local food supply. That is something that can’t be duplicated in a California strawberry, New Zealand apple or Florida tomato.
Eating local does make sense economically, because when we support local enterprises we contribute to a healthy local economy. Desrochers asserts
that the locavore movement is only accessible to the world’s most privileged
consumers. I disagree. Eating locally and in-season, is affordable and accessible to people from all demographic groups. Harvesting lettuce and cherry tomatoes from pots on your patio or purchasing a basket of new potatoes and some ground beef from the Thunder Bay Country Market is far
more affordable than a trip to your local fast food outlet. Our region needs a stable local food supply, not more out of season produce shipped from half-way around the world. Summer in Thunder Bay is the perfect time to focus on eating more food produced within our region. The farmer’s markets are bursting with produce, backyard gardens are in full-swing and pick-your-own operations offer you an authentic farm experience and the chance to save some money by harvesting your own produce.
They say it’s beneficial to learn the other side of a debate, so you can strengthen your own argument. If that’s the case I would recommend you read Desrochers’ “The Locavore’s Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000 Mile Diet”. Just be sure to balance
your literary diet with Joel Salatin’s “Folks, this ain’t normal”.
A few weeks ago, Jian Ghomeshi mediated a debate on the disadvantages of eating locally on the CBC radio program “Q”. The program featured, Pierre Desrochers, an economic geographer and author who claims that
the locavore movement is harmful to our modern food system and doesn’t make sense on an economic or agricultural basis. As I madly scribbled notes refuting his arguments, I wanted to shout-out: eating local makes sense! Derochers asserted that we have romanticized the notion of “know your farmer” and that farmers are just too busy and tired to interact with customers. I’d agree that any farmer who earns their living from the land is
extremely busy and tired at this time of year; but they’re always happy to take a minute to explain their growing practices, discuss favourite vegetable
varieties or cuts of meat and recommend the best cooking methods for their
products. Farming is a 24 hour a day (there’s a narrow window for seeding fields, cows can calve in the middle of the night and strawberries may need frost protecting), 365 day a year profession; so farmers must love their work. I’d argue that farmers want to get to know their consumers (or co-producers as they’re known within the Slow Food movement) and discussing production methods with “your” farmer is the best way to ensure you’re eating real food, produced in a sustainable manner.
Economic geographers can argue that shipping food across the continent or half-way around the world is economically feasible due to economies of scaleand the efficiencies of modern freighters and therefore, eating local isn’t necessary. This theory requires one to ignore the important measures of flavour and nutritional content. Food grown and ripened locally will always win the taste war and be nutritionally superior to that of its industrial agriculture counterparts. If you don’t believe that local food tastes better, I challenge you to purchase a clamshell of strawberries from California and do a blind taste comparison with a basket of local berries. You’ll be able to tell the difference before you even take a bite! The strawberries grown in Thunder Bay will be fully ripened and have a pronounced sweet aroma. Notice the amazing taste profile of the locally picked berries (there is often a honey essence), they may be small in size, but they pack a mighty flavour punch.
Wine experts often discuss terroir, which roughly refers to taste
of the land. The soil and climate conditions and farming techniques specific to our region impart a unique flavour profile or terroir to the fruits,
vegetables and meat and dairy products produced within the region. The soil that our farmers have nurtured and cared for makes available a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that will end up in our local food supply. That is something that can’t be duplicated in a California strawberry, New Zealand apple or Florida tomato.
Eating local does make sense economically, because when we support local enterprises we contribute to a healthy local economy. Desrochers asserts
that the locavore movement is only accessible to the world’s most privileged
consumers. I disagree. Eating locally and in-season, is affordable and accessible to people from all demographic groups. Harvesting lettuce and cherry tomatoes from pots on your patio or purchasing a basket of new potatoes and some ground beef from the Thunder Bay Country Market is far
more affordable than a trip to your local fast food outlet. Our region needs a stable local food supply, not more out of season produce shipped from half-way around the world. Summer in Thunder Bay is the perfect time to focus on eating more food produced within our region. The farmer’s markets are bursting with produce, backyard gardens are in full-swing and pick-your-own operations offer you an authentic farm experience and the chance to save some money by harvesting your own produce.
They say it’s beneficial to learn the other side of a debate, so you can strengthen your own argument. If that’s the case I would recommend you read Desrochers’ “The Locavore’s Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000 Mile Diet”. Just be sure to balance
your literary diet with Joel Salatin’s “Folks, this ain’t normal”.
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