Life & Trends
GOOD EATS (Nearby)
By Donna Scaglione
table and holds them at eye level. Aid in 1985, when industri-
ES GARRICK IS TROLLING THE AISLES “Hot, mild, or sweet?” he asks al farming was burgeoning
L
of an open-air market in Falmouth Bliss. and many smaller farms
center, a short ride from his home in “They’re sweet,” Bliss replies. were going into foreclo-
seaside Woods Hole, Mass. He’s on “And they’re good for roasting.” sure.
the hunt for the perfect pepper. Exactly what Garrick was looking Today, Farm Aid’s focus
Garrick, a local writer and a bit of for. It’s the reason he comes to Peg has evolved into what it calls
a foodie, picks his way through gen- Noonan Park most Thursdays from the Good Food Movement
erous displays of the local autumn spring to fall when the leafy public — a term organization offi -
bounty: baskets laden with dusty car- space becomes a market for locally cials coined three years ago
rots; plump tomatoes; eggplants the grown and harvested foods. Garrick, to refl ect the growing inter-
color of royalty. And, this being Cape like a growing number of Americans, est in fresh, locally grown
Cod, live lobsters abound at less than is consuming more locally produced food from sustainable
$9 a pound. fare than ever before. farms. That interest was
At a table festooned with a ban- These so-called “locavores” cite particularly evident in the
ner hawking Lucky Field Organic increasing concerns about food safe- growing number of farm-
Farm, Garrick spies his quarry. He ty and purity along with a desire to ers markets cropping up in
connect with the people in their com- urban areas, Fahy says.
munity who raise crops and livestock. “It’s farmers and con-
The locavores are willing to shop a sumers working to sustain
little harder, travel to more places, each other,” she said.
and occasionally pay a premium for For locavores, the
what they perceive to be higher qual- interest is being fueled,
ity food and more knowledgeable in part, by recent interna-
vendors, studies indicate. tional food supply scares,
According to the U.S. Department including E. coli in spin-
of Agriculture, farmers markets ach, salmonella-tainted
have increased from just 1,600 in peppers, and the industri-
1994 to nearly 4,700 today. And the al chemical melamine in
number of Community Supported the Chinese milk supply.
Agriculture farms — farms that offer It is worth noting that the
consumers shares of the local har- typical American meal con-
vest for a fee — have grown from 50 tains ingredients from at
in 1990 to more than 2,000 today, least fi ve foreign countries,
according to
localharvest.org. according to an Iowa State
“People are saying, ‘I want to learn University study.
more about my food; I want to get to Locavores say they want
know my farmer,’” Jennifer Fahy, food that is picked at the
BLISSFUL MOMENT Melissa Bliss knows
communications director for Farm peak of ripeness and not treated
her veggies — and her customers.
Aid, tells Newsmax. with chemicals to preserve it during
waits patiently while Lucky Field Farm Aid, best known for its shipping. They also want to help
farmhand Melissa Bliss explains to a annual concerts with headliners cut back on the amount of fossil
woman that, of course, the less veiny Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, fuels associated with shipping food.
red Russian kale would make a bet- Neil Young, and Dave Matthews, also According to a separate Iowa State
ter soup than the Dinosaur variety. makes grants to growers and con- study, Americans’ food travels an
Satisfi ed, the woman moves on. ducts public education programs and average of about 1,500 miles from
Garrick picks two glistening conferences in support of small and farm to point of purchase.
red peppers from the pile on the family farms. Nelson started Farm Locavores are committed to sup-
64 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE / DECEMBER 2008
0064_Life_Locavore.indd 6464_Life_Locavore.indd 64 111/7/08 11:27:47 AM1/7/08 11:27:47 AM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84