Posts Tagged ‘local foods’

Local Foods: Yes it is real

May 12th, 2010

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:
Posted in Agriculture, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (2)

Hilltowns Build on Local Foods

April 29th, 2010

Can the development of farmers markets lead to larger economic activities than just selling fresh food?  Many Hilltowns residents in rural Albany County, NY believe it can.  And they’ve formed the Helderberg Hilltowns Association to lead the charge.

According to an article titled “More than farmers markets,” the new association will seek to “promote sustainable economic development in the small, rural towns by featuring their farms, hiking trails, historic sites and sweeping vistas.” (Source:  Christen Gowan, “More than farmers markets,“ Albany Sun-Times, April 9, 2010). 

Sustainable economic development; that’s awesome.  As I looked into the Association a little closer, several items caught my attention:

I still sense that most South Dakotans don’t see the local foods industry as real economic development.  Just a couple weeks ago, I was told by a person who operates a bed and breakfast on a rural acreage that South Dakotans can’t make money from growing local foods.  It caught me totally by surprise because I believe B&B’s and local foods are a perfect marriage. 

I responded to this criticism saying local foods is economic development and pointed out the success of Hardwick, VT.  I also mentioned the Business Week article touting the local foods industry as an economic development strategy.  Unfortunately, I sensed my argument fell on deaf ears.

Now I realize the local foods strategies employed in rural South Dakota would have to be different from those of the Helderber Hilltowns Association; we don’t have the population base nearby like they do in the Hilltowns of Albany County.  But we do have other assets that we can marry with local foods to build a new economy.  We just need to be creative and open to new ideas.

After all, isn’t that what we mean by “ReImagine Rural?”

 

Photo Credit:  Miamism - Flickr 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (0)

Buy Fresh, Buy Local South Dakota goes online

January 25th, 2010

The Buy Fresh, Buy Local South Dakota initiative has taken another step.  They’ve launched a new website, and stand ready to help South Dakota’s producers and consumers build a more robust local foods economy.

As I wrote in a post a couple weeks ago, schools in our rural communities can play an important role in the growing local foods movement.  Not only can schools help teach children healthy eating habits, but they can stimulate economic development at the local community level.  And as Business Week recently reported, local foods initiatives play a more significant role in economic development than most people realize.   

The Buy Fresh, Buy Local South Dakota website is another educational tool for helping people learn more about foods grown in the region.  It includes a calendar of upcoming events and a  forum for asking questions.  I intend to keep it on my radar, and will turn to it with my questions. 

Currently, there’s only one question in the forum.  In a nutshell it acknowledges the difficulty of buying locally grown foods during our winter months, and essentially asks, “How can we get more?” 

I’m anxious to learn what ideas others will add to the conversation.  My response might be, let’s be more aggressive in our support of local foods this spring, summer, and fall, so that more of our producers feel comfortable making the financial investments required to turn their operation into a year-round production.  That would be something to look forward to!

 

Tags: , ,
Posted in Economic Development, Rural | Comments (0)

Reinventing restaurants (and rural communities)

January 13th, 2010

There’s no doubt that good restaurants are important to rural communities.  They make rural communities more attractive places to live.  They often serve as “informal meeting places where community is built” (e.g., third places).  And they often improve the local economy by giving people a place to spend their money locally. 

My guess is that Reuben Wentz must appreciate the importance of a good restaurant.  The 93-year-old retired farmer recently gave $500,000 to his hometown of Napoleon, North Dakota (pop. 857) to create a new community-owned restaurant.   

The restaurant replaces the old, deteriorating building that housed the community’s previous community-owned restaurant.  It sounds like they’ve got a good thing going with the restaurant.  Its features include:

It’s also home to the Logan County Economic Development Offices, which set up the foundation that manages the restaurant.  I bet many of Napoleon’s neighboring communities are envious.

It’s important to attract people

It sounds like the community is excited about the restaurant.  The Bismarck Tribune quotes foundation board member Jennifer Schumacher:

“It was such a moment of joy. I thought - I think we all thought - this is such a turning point for Napoleon,” she said. Without much debt to service, the new venture should succeed, she said.

“We have a new drug store, young people are moving in and wind towers are going up. With such a beautiful restaurant here in Napoleon, we can do it,” Schumacher said. (source: Lauren Donovan, “Napoleon benefactor builds restaurant for community” Bismark Tribune, 12-2-09) 

That’s economic development

Any community seeking to attract young people (Gen Y) has to evaluate the availability of local food services.  It’s something they look for when choosing a community to call home. 

With this in mind, I’ve been thinking about how the Napoleon might leverage this restaurant effort for further economic development.  Two thoughts have emerged:

First, what can be done to foster a true “third place” atmosphere, making it a place where people of all ages and backgrounds meet for conversation?  We know that conversation between people of varying backgrounds in third places can lead to greater community trust (e.g. bridging social capital).  But third places don’t magically emerge.  They take thoughtful consideration and effort.

Second, could the community-owned restaurant be leveraged to create a local foods initiative?  Perhaps, they could make a commitment to buying locally raised foods.  The kitchen could also be a “shared use kitchen” that helps entrepreneurs develop new food products. 

Both of those ideas will take more effort and possibly more financial capital.  They may or may not be right for Napoleon.  But rural communities need to think like this to maximize their economic development efforts. 

Small towns also need people like Reuben Wentz who are willing to invest in their community’s future. 

Note:  Thanks to John Crabtree of the Center for Rural Affairs for making me aware of this story in their January newsletter.   Readers may also be interested in past ReImagine Rural stories about community owned grocery stores. 

Photo Credit:  FreeWine - Flickr  

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Agriculture, Community Development, Economic Development, Gen Y, Rural | Comments (3)

School lunch programs gone “local”

January 4th, 2010

While grocery shopping for Christmas, I picked up some delicious looking strawberries.  It’s difficult to grow fresh strawberries during South Dakota’s harsh winter, and I suspected these strawberries had been grown on a hydroponic farm in some distant land. Unfortunately, their flavor fell far short of my already low expectations, and I suspect their nutritional value wasn’t far behind. 

With this disappointment fresh in my mind, I caught a tweet from Deb Brown at DebWorks.  She shared an interesting article describing how the Independence (IA) School District has embraced the local foods movement in an effort to both improve the nutritional value of their school lunches and to education young people about healthy living.    (Source:  “School lunch goes local,” Iowa Farmer Today, 12-23-09)

The school district is a part of the Iowa Farm to School Initiative.  They purchase locally grown produce, and prepare it at their kitchen.  In an effort to help young people understand what healthy eating is all about and where their food comes from, the school has also developed an educational component. 

Not only am I impressed with the efforts because it should lead to healthier eating for young people, but also because it stimulates the local economy.  Granted it must take a little extra effort to prepare the fruits and vegetables, but I’m sure the school’s kitchen workers appreciate the extra hours and accompanying wages.

There’s been a growing movement lately to discredit local foods initiatives.  The theory goes that mass producing foods and shipping them across the country leads to greater economic efficiencies.  But as a recent Business Week article titled “Entrepreneurs Keep the Local Food Movement Hot” reports, local foods initiatives play a more critical role in economic development than most people realize. 

After conducting a quick internet search for the Farm to School Initiative, I’ve concluded there’s not much happening in South Dakota’s schools.  If true, that’s disappointing. 

Good nutrition and a little economic development.  That’s something that could benefit all of our rural communities. 

Photo credit:  back_garage - Flickr

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Economic Development, Rural, education | Comments (5)

Marketing help for farmers markets

February 9th, 2009

If you’re a manager of a farmers market or local foods vendor in eastern South Dakota or western Minnesota, you’ll want to check out a workshop offered by the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service.

Scheduled for February 21 in Brookings, SD, the workshop will feature Karl Foord, a marketing educator from the University of Minnesota Extension Service. 

Topics to be discussed include:

With the deadline for the South Dakota Farmers Market grant only a month away, the timing couldn’t be better.  

The workshop will be held 9:30 -4:00 at Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory on the campus of South Dakota State University.  Registration will cost $25 for those who sign-up on or before Feb. 18, and $30 after that date. The cost includes a noon meal, refreshments, and materials. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

To register, send checks to Rhoda Burrows, Box 2140A, 201 SNPB, SDSU, Brookings, SD 57007. Make checks payable to “Horticulture Extension Operating.” For more information, call Burrows at (605) 688-4731, or e-mail her at Rhoda.Burrows@sdstate.edu.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Agriculture, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (0)

Can you buy Christmas groceries in your community?

December 24th, 2008

In addition to Santa and gift-giving, Christmas means eating (usually lots of eating) to millions of Americans.  Unfortunately, preparing the Christmas treats and meals requires far too many rural residents to drive 15-20 miles to purchase their groceries.  Simply put, declining populations and changing retail practices have forced many local grocery stores to close over the last few decades. 

With that in mind, I’d like to share a resource intended to help concerned residents bring grocery stores back to their communities. 

Titled “Grocery Store Attraction Strategies:  A Resource Guide for Community Activists and Local Governments“, it offers a 10-step process which I have highlighted below:

  1. Identify and organize stakeholders.
  2. Raise awareness of the problem.
  3. Understand the challenges.
  4. Consider the alternatives.
  5. Understand the retail market.
  6. Address the perception of the area.
  7. Identify potential development sites.
  8. Research and offer incentives.
  9. Sell the opportunity.
  10. Secure community support and corporate accountability.

This resource, develop by PolicyLink and the Bay Area LISC, is largely written for an urban audience.  While it offers a great starting point for any community look to develop a grocery store attraction strategy, I will continue to look for and share additional resources more applicable for a rural setting. 

And if you know any yourself, I’d encourage you to share them in the comment section.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Economic Development, Rural, Training and Events | Comments (3)

Farmers Market Grant Announced

December 19th, 2008

South Dakota’s Farmers Markets  were a popular item in 2008.  And with the help of some federal grant money, I’m hoping they will attract even more attention in 2009. 

Existing farmers markets and groups interested in establishing new farmer’s markets may apply for up to $1000 from the grant program.  Administered by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, the grant may be use for such expenses as “start up costs, promotion, advertising, marketing, vendor recruitment, market infrastructure, consumer education, “buy local” programs, and efforts to define a customer base.”

I’ll let you read the rest of the grant information in the press release.  If you are already chomping at the bit to apply, you can download the application here. 

But for those who are still on the fence and want to learn more, I’ll provided the following resources:

 Good luck, and please share other great resources through the comments section below. 

(Photo from Tim Schlitzer of the Food Routes Conservancy)

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Agriculture, Rural | Comments (0)

“Local Foods” initiative as Economic Development

October 30th, 2008

Can a local foods initiative serve as an economic development strategy for a rural community?  In other words, can it create jobs and build wealth for members of a community?

For some time now, I’ve advocated that it can.  Now, an article in the New York Times shows us how. 

The article highlights a local foods initiative in Hardwick, VT, a rural community of approximately 3,000 in the state’s northeast corner.  It’s estimated that their efforts have already produced 75-100 jobs in recent years.  That’s nothing to sneeze at in a community their size!

The driving force for the initiative comes from several of the entrepreneurs as well as the Center for an Agricultural Economy, a non-profit established in 2004.  Their effort seeks to “engage agricultural leaders in the emerging 21st century food system to build capacity and inspire the public in supporting and implementing this system.”

Like all good stories, several themes stand out: 

People are generally unaware of the complex system our food ‘travels’ through to end up on our plates.  Whether we’re talking about traditional agriculture or local foods production, our food system is made of many complex parts including: production, distribution, markets, finance, and education.  If any part is weak or missing, the system quickly breaks down. In Hardwick, they’re making sure this doesn’t happen, which probably explains why they’ve succeeded at creating a significant number of jobs and businesses. 

Hopefully, other rural communities will benefit from Harwick’s efforts.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Agriculture, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (0)

Buy Fresh, Buy Local is coming to South Dakota

October 13th, 2008

Photo provided by Tim Schlitzer

As mentioned last week, I attended the Buy Fresh, Buy Local meeting in Brookings, SD on Thursday evening.  The meeting was sponsored by the South Dakota Specialty Producer’s Association.  At the end of the meeting, the group voted to create a chapter for South Dakota.

Before making that decision, the group listened to Tim Schlitzer, the Executive Director for the Food Routes Conservancy and Dorthy Rosemeier, of the Upper Minnesota River Valley Buy Fresh, Buy Local chapter.   Here’s a few things I learned from their presentations:

I could continue, but you can see that there are lots of good reasons for a Buy Local, Buy Fresh campaign.  If you are interested in being a part of helping the South Dakota effort, give a call to Pat Garrity (605-660-1034).

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Agriculture, Economic Development, Rural, Training and Events | Comments (0)

« Older Entries