Local Food
Nov. 22nd, 2021 12:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithHere's an article about local food.
Every time someone calls local food "elitist" or "unfeasible" I laugh. Because that's all there was until quite recently. Only the richest people could afford to import food long distances, and even then it had to be relatively nonperishable, like spices.
The last century or so has seen the rise of a global food network. Sure it's nice to eat tropical fruit or other things that wouldn't grow locally. That'd be fine if it was in addition to local food. But it's not. Long-distance food has replaced local food almost entirely. Long supply lines are a devastating vulnerability with brutal consequences if they're cut by enemy action, weather, politics, or whatever.
Goods should be produced as close to their use point as possible. You want pineapples in the Midwest, sure, you'll have to ship them. But there is no excuse for not growing all the stuff that can be grown locally. People have lived all over the planet and found things to eat in very inhospitable areas. Make sure the local food production can support the population, or you are going to have problems.
So if you want to survive, look at your local food supply. Grow some of your own food if you can. Network with other people who do. Support local farmers. Some day your life may depend on that.
Every time someone calls local food "elitist" or "unfeasible" I laugh. Because that's all there was until quite recently. Only the richest people could afford to import food long distances, and even then it had to be relatively nonperishable, like spices.
The last century or so has seen the rise of a global food network. Sure it's nice to eat tropical fruit or other things that wouldn't grow locally. That'd be fine if it was in addition to local food. But it's not. Long-distance food has replaced local food almost entirely. Long supply lines are a devastating vulnerability with brutal consequences if they're cut by enemy action, weather, politics, or whatever.
Goods should be produced as close to their use point as possible. You want pineapples in the Midwest, sure, you'll have to ship them. But there is no excuse for not growing all the stuff that can be grown locally. People have lived all over the planet and found things to eat in very inhospitable areas. Make sure the local food production can support the population, or you are going to have problems.
So if you want to survive, look at your local food supply. Grow some of your own food if you can. Network with other people who do. Support local farmers. Some day your life may depend on that.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-11-22 03:57 pm (UTC)Well ...
Date: 2021-11-25 09:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-11-22 04:22 pm (UTC)Fortunately, not only do most of the local farmers markets accept food stamps, several will *double* your stamps.
Basically, at the main "desk" (table) you pay them X in food stamps and they give you 2X in scrip for that market.
Saves everybody in the market needing to have POS terminals that can handle the cards, and encourages you to come back to spend any "leftover" scrip.
Me, I just shop carefully, and use the last of the scrip each trip for something that costs a bit more than the remaining scrip, and pay the balance in cash.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-11-22 04:36 pm (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2021-11-22 07:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-11-24 03:40 am (UTC)If there is a plot of land available and a few families that want to work together each could spend just a couple of SNAP dollars on seeds, and they could start a garden together. You buy tomatoes, I buy cucumbers, he buys squash, she buys radishes, they buy carrots...and we all benefit by being able to grow all the seeds in the pouches and not worry about oversupply rotting on the vine.
You could also do a group canning session or two.
Yes ...
Date: 2021-11-25 07:11 am (UTC)