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Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From?

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Contributed by: Heather Stapleton on 5/16/2008

Do you know where you food comes from?

The concept of "food miles" is used to describe distances food travels from the farm to the plate. You might be surprised to learn that the average item on most North Americans' dinner table has traveled 1,500 miles.

Faced with issues such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria, E. coli outbreaks, artificial hormones, mad cow disease, and environmental degradation, the problems we face with today's industrial food system seem overwhelming.

The converse of industrial agriculture is sustainable agriculture, a way of growing and raising food that is healthy, doesn't harm the environment, is humane, and provides fair wages to the farmer. There is no "sustainable" label, so eating sustainably means understanding the issues, getting involved with your food, and knowing the people who grow and sell it.

The best food is locally grown, organic food. There are many good reasons for eating local - freshness, purity, taste, nutrition. And, eating local reduces fossil fuel consumption. Locally grown, seasonal food can be brought to market more quickly than food that has to be transported long distances, and therefore can be better tasting and more nutritious due to freshness. Buying locally grown food means you can truly lessen your family's negative environmental impact!

In his book Slow Food Nation, Carlo Petrini writes, "Food and its production must regain the central place that they deserve among human activities...The crucial point now is no longer the quantity of food that is produced, but its complex quality - a concept that ranges from the question of taste to that of variety, from respect for the environment, ecosystems, and rhythyms of nature to respect of human nature."

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one way to support locally grown food and local farmers. CSAs provides a direct link between local farmers and consumers. And, gardening becomes once again, a common human activity. Each season, members purchase a share of a farmer's crop before it's planted. And then all members help in every facet of the farm.

Broken Oak Farm CSA, located on 5 acres in Fellsmere, FL provides that link and can dramatically reduce your food's travel. Though Broken Oak Farm is not "USDA certified" organic, we do strongly believe in sustainable, natural farming methods. We feature safely-grown garden produce and fresh eggs from happy, unmedicated hens. Also considering doing pastured meat chickens for those who are interested.

Become directly involved in your own food supply! We are seeking new members for our 2008-09 season (our unique Florida harvest is October through June). Learn to grow your own garden, raise and butcher poultry, can and preserve the harvest and many other important life skills. Classes are part of our CSA!

This year at Broken Oak Farm, a share is $22/week (paid at beginning of season) plus 4hrs of work each month. Each week, Oct-June, the farmer provides great tasting, healthy food. Members pick up their share from the farm or from distribution sites on harvest days.

Interested? Please plan on attending one of our next informational/organizational meetings on either May 24th or June 7th (both at 1pm) at Broken Oak Farm, 13575 83rd Street, Fellsmere, FL 32948. To RSVP or for more information please call our Farmer, Laurie Flynn at 772-571-8686. Hope to see you there!

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