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Local Foods: Yes it is real
May 12th, 2010 by Mike Knutson
Move over corn. Look out beans. A new study by an Iowa State University professor suggests local food production could produce $882 million in sales and add 9,300 jobs in the Midwest. It also notes that demand for these foods already exists. So much for the argument that local foods initiatives don’t make economic sense in the Midwest. (Read the study here.)
Before going on, let me assure my farming friends that my opening paragraph is not meant as an attack on traditional agriculture. In my opinion, rural communities need a strong farm economy. But we also have to open our minds to the idea that local food development should be a part of that economy as well.
I first learned about the study from a Daily Yonder article titled “The Benefits of Local Food in the Midwest.” Interested parties should also check out an article in the Los Angeles Times titled “Study finds Midwest could profit by growing fruit, vegetables to meet demand for local food.”
Building the local foods economy will not be an easy task. The Los Angeles Times notes the following, citing report author David Swenson:
It won’t be easy now for farmers to switch to other crops, Swenson said. Expertise in the Midwest tends to be in livestock or commodity crops such as corn and soybeans, not produce. The states don’t have policies to encourage expanded fruit and vegetable production, and many consumers don’t think much about where their produce is grown.” (source: Michael J. Crumb, “Study finds Midwest could profit by growing fruit, vegetables to meet demand for local food,” Los Angeles Times, May 7,2010.)
This means we have a lot of capacity building work to do to take advantage of the opportunity.
I know people like Rebecca Terk at the Flying Tomato Farm and Pat Garrity of the Buy Fresh Buy Local South Dakota project are leading this effort, alongside many others. Now the rest of us need to figure out what we can do to help.
Note: There are a lot of good sessions on local foods at the Grassroots and Groundswork conference. I’m not sure if I’m going to get a chance to attend, but I’m sure others will share resources on Twitter via the #G&G2010 hashtag.
Photo Credit: NatalieMaynor – Flickr
Tags: local foods
Posted in Agriculture, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (
2 )
June 27th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
[...] of South Dakota one day (read “How Food Saved a Town“). Local Foods is the real deal (just ask Mike), and it’s a serious opportunity for us in small towns–to feed surrounding communities, [...]
June 28th, 2010 at 7:25 am
[...] VT of South Dakota one day (read “How Food Saved a Town“). Local Foods is the real deal (just ask Mike), and it’s a serious opportunity for us in small towns–to feed surrounding communities, to live [...]