Do we have a right to know?

I was listening to NPR on my way home from the Market yesterday, and I was struck by the words of a writer named Ellen Ruppel Shell. She's got a book out titled Cheap: The high cost of discount culture, and at first I thought she was talking about food. Turns out, she could have been.

Yet she was talking about consumer goods, mostly. Clothes, furniture, shoes--stuff like that. But before I actually found out the subject matter, she said some things to Neal Conan that sounded like the things I've often said about food.

Like we don't know where it's coming from. Or who made it. Or how it was made. Or when it was made. And whether or not it's safe.

So it gave me pause, and made me think broadly about our society and its seemingly complacent attitude about all things bought and sold. And I got to thinking maybe we ought to care a little more about having access to the answers regarding the where, by whom, the when, and the safety question.

Then the cycnic in me led me to thinking about why commerce is the way it is, and I concluded the reason we're complacent is because that's exactly what corporations want from us; they want us to buy things, not ask questions.

Still, I have to believe most people would opt for the choice of knowing versus not knowing. I mean it's not a giant leap to think we'd rather know about who is growing the food we eat, and where it's grown, and how it's grown, and if it's fresh, and finally, if it's actually safe for us to eat.

And all of this thinking made me think even more abstractly: Do we have a right to know these things? And if we do have such a right, then why are we not exercising it?

It's an interesting question, yet moot. For unless the the question relates to country of origin labeling (COOL), we don't have such a right. And if one looks at the number of years it took between the enactment of COOL as the law of the land, and it's implementation, it becomes clear that BIG FOOD has BIG POWER in these poorly united States. Moreover COOL's widespread abuses and its lack of enforcement shows just how dull what few teeth it has are. Too dull to bite an abuser, for sure.

And so it seems to me at least, that until we start caring enough to ask the questions and insist on the answers, we'll stay in the dark about the things we buy. Sure, we'll trot out an occasional Trojan Horse or two like COOL, and we'll talk about all the recalls and all the sugary, fatty, and salty foods we eat, and we'll complain about hard, juice less peaches, and tasteless Peruvian asparagus, and we might even visit farmers' markets for a couple of months out of the year.

But will we ever come to grips with the truth that we're pretty much all eating the same foods sold to us by the same handful of corporations whom pay their slotting fees for shelf space, exploit poor laborers in developing countries, print a "sell by" date as if it were an indication of quality, and charge us three or four times what they paid?

I hope so, but I'm not holding my breath....

At the end of the day, I'll keep preaching, mostly to the choir it seems, and keep sourcing local foods and processing them for later consumption. At least I'll be making a small dent in the armor of BIG FOOD. And at least I'll know most of the answers about what I'm eating and feeding my family. How 'bout you?

Every season is different

No two growing seasons are alike, at least not here in S.W. Michigan. 2009 however, is really different. Today it's 59 degrees as I write this, and the wind is out of the North at 8 MPH, and there's a damp mist in the air.

Weather rules. No matter how skilled the grower, Mother Nature is the final arbiter, and sooner or later, growers learn to accept this fact and not let it bother them...too much.

Ditto for the produce buyer who understands Berrien County, Michigan's promise and its uncertainties. The promise, while ever present, can be broken without notice, without reason, and without prejudice. Still, they come from far and wide because when the promise is not broken, some of the world's best fruit may be procured here in abundance.

So far this season though, the fruit has been mediocre. Too much rain, an early heat wave, and now, unseasonably cool weather is putting the breaks on fruit development.

Yet with our gritty soils and inevitable stretches of dry weather, we'll have some outstanding fruit during 2009; we always have, and so long as growers continue to plant fruit here, we always will.

A localist's lament to the weather, and a vision of a better life

I know it's been a while since posting, and the fact I could not access my Blogger account is a poor excuse (forgot the password and failed a few times in changing it).

But I'm back!

Every season is new, and every one different. But 2009 is really different: Minus 22 in January killed much of the bramble crop and thinned peaches, some varieties were REALLY thinned. A late, cold Spring. Cold and wet in April and May, then cool and wet later, then wet later still, then no sun for days and days (a real killer), then wet yet again, and now, hotter than I can ever remember in June.

Melted strawberries, aborted peas, cracked and rotting sweet cherries; it's getting really hard to take. But the season is just getting underway, and there's still time for a turnaround. The forecast looks like a return to normal weather patterns (if there even is such a thing anymore), and that's what the region needs right now.

On a positive note, the local foods movement is gaining an unstoppable momentum, and for those of us who have been howling like a lone wolf for decades, the experience is exhilarating. Twenty years ago, there were howling wolves like me about every four hundred miles. Now I can hear them and see them even in my home town!

And the new generation of wolves howl out not their woes, but their hopes for a food system that makes sense for their families, and communities, and their country. It's been a long time coming, but I am sure the end to the insanity of our industrialized food system is in sight.

I see new farms, great diversity of production agriculture, resurrected animal husbandry, new food-related businesses, and perhaps most important, a healthier populace feeding itself nutritious food and weaning itself from the salty, sugary, and fatty stuff (I cannot call it food), marketed so ubiquitously throughout America, and causing the health care crisis.

I see healthier economies throughout rural America due in no small part to local food dollars being spent on local foods and then through the multiplier effect being re-circulated in those same economies, four, five, six times before leaving.

I see a return to an intensely local way of life.

And I see the demise of giant, multinational corporations controlling the goods and services we we've been tricked into buying from them. In their place, I see shingles proclaiming "locally-owned and locally operated."

I see the end to this Great Recession and a new beginning for communities, even here in Michigan.

I see the roots of power...and they're grass! I see the people who will make these changes...and they're us!

Local Food

A Billion Dollar Opportunity for Berrien County, MI

By: Lee LaVanway

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. National Agriculture Statistics service, Berrien County’s 63,569 households spend almost $375 Million for food annually. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/26021.html

Yet the value of all agricultural products, produced and sold in Berrien County in 2002 (the latest period for which statistics exist), was about $97 Million, and that amount includes items such as field corn, soybeans, and sunflowers. (Almost 25% of the total value comes from those three commodities.) These data reveal a gap of at least $275 million between local production and consumption. http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census02/volume1/mi/st26_2_002_002.pdf

Though no reliable data exists to identify the amount of locally-produced food actually being consumed in Berrien County, it is nonetheless safe to assume that a significant percentage of the county’s production is not being consumed by its citizens. This assumption is based on numerous fruit and vegetable brokers operating seasonally here; they frequently ship locally grown produce to distant markets, and they’re handling millions of packages.

Local Meat Facts

But there are credible sources for per capita food costs, by food type— USDA’s Economic Research Service. http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Consumption/

There we see useful information about meats consumed during 2005 (again, the last year for which data exists). Amounts consumed by weight volume (2000), may be found at http://www.usda.gov/factbook/tables/ch2table21.jpg

The figures below reflect average, per person consumption in 2000, by meat type, average retail cost, and amount consumed in pounds, per person:

66.5 lbs. Chicken @ $1.60/lb. = $17,237,000.00

66.4 lbs. Beef @ $3.80/lb. = $40,876,000.00

47.7 lbs. Pork @ $2.75/lb = $21,250,000.00

15.2 lbs. Fish @ $6.00 = $14,775,000.00

Total $94,138,000 spent on meats in Berrien County, MI 2005

But the market value of all livestock and poultry produced in Berrien County during 2002 was $12,138,000.00. So in the meat category alone, an $82 Million shortfall exists between what we’re consuming and what we’re actually producing. However, that shortfall also assumes all the meat produced in Berrien County is actually consumed in Berrien County—a highly unlikely scenario. Yet the assumption is useful because it represents the best case scenario (we cannot consume more local food than is produced locally).

The opportunities therefore, for farmers are obvious; they have a huge market potential, if consumers could somehow gain access to their increased production.

But for consumers, whom long ago lost access to locally-produced meats, and whom must make special efforts to access other locally grown food items, the benefits are not so obvious, but interesting nonetheless.

Consider food safety statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control: about 80 million Americans are sickened every year from food borne illnesses; 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die. 30% of all retail chicken sold in the U.S. is tainted with Salmonella bacteria, and a whopping 62% with Campylobacter. http://www.aeshm.hs.iastate.edu/academy/exemplars/CoopLearnExamplars/food%20safety%20and%20sanitation.floriani.pdf , http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/food/index.htm

Food safety therefore, is an obvious consumer benefit of local food systems, for it is a very rare occasion indeed when a local farm family is subject to a mass recall of their food production. Yet an impressive amount of evidence exists showing safety records of the industrialized food suppliers are very poor. http://www.recalls.gov/food.html

I believe it is a benefit to consumers when they know family farmers not only provide food to market, but are also feeding that same food to their own families. An even greater benefit results when consumers establish relationships with those families growing much of the food they eat. After all, what could be more important than the safety of the food we’re feeding ourselves and our families?

It is also a benefit to consumers when family livestock operations rely significantly on pasture for feed, and rarely, if ever, use growth hormones and antibiotics. Pastured beef for example, has been found to be a more nutritious and healthier alternative to CAFO beef (Confined Animal Feeding Operation). And it is widely known locally produced, pastured beef is much more flavorful, owing in part at least, to a much more diversified diet. Finally, for those consumers interested in reducing the carbon footprints of their purchasing, local meats are an excellent means to that end, as are local foods in general.

Fruits and vegetables

Taking a look at fruits and vegetables now, we see a similar shortfall between consumption and production. Yet we know from research and data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), that fewer than 20% of Michigan residents eat vegetables three or more times per day. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5610a2.htm We fare a little better with respect to fruit—about 30% eat fruit two or more times per day.

According to the latest government recommendations (2005), “…for adults, the recommended levels are three to five servings of fruit and four to eight servings of vegetables per day.”

Additionally, according to CDC, Michigan ranks #43 out of 50 states, for fruit and vegetable consumption. In other words, only the populations of seven states eat less fruit and vegetables than we do. It is frankly alarming that a state such as Michigan—a veritable powerhouse of fruit and vegetable production—should rank so dismally low among all states. http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/5ADaySurveillance/compareChartV.asp?state=US&state_c=MI&group=0&grouping=0

Could it be our access to the best quality (freshest, most nutritious, and flavorful) produce is so poor that we refuse to do the extra work required to get it, yet also refuse to buy what’s offered inside chain store Super Centers, because we know it’s not fresh (in transit 10-14 days on average), and not flavorful?

Would an easily accessible, centralized, year-around marketplace for local foods make a difference in consumption? I think so.

Several key facts lead me to that conclusion. First, the trend over the past thirty years has been toward consolidation within numerous and broad business categories. National chains within the retail sector have targeted regional population centers and clustered development within and around those centers. Benton Township, Berrien County, Michigan is one such center of economic development. Niles, Michigan is another.

Retail food sellers (including chain restaurants); the home improvement segment; retail drugs; banking; appliances; and consumer electronics have set up shop there and draw extensively from the rural populations, small towns and villages within 20-30 miles from these so-called “hubs” of retail development. Thus, they are a model indicating clustered development draws people into a marketplace. A scale appropriate local foods venue should show a similar result.

Second, fruit and vegetable consumption is correlated to income groups. It is thus highly likely a significant number of Berrien County residents now consume far less food from those food groups than a healthy diet requires.

Households in the lowest income groups:

• Consume around 7% less fruit than average (which is already very low in MI)
• Consume 4% less vegetables than average ( “ “ “ “ “ )

Households in highest income groups:

• Consume around 14% more fruit than average
• Consume 3% more vegetables than average

http://www.igd.com/cir.asp?menuid=35&cirid=122

Moreover, as per capita money income for Berrien County residents is significantly lower than the average for all Michigan residents, it’s logical to assume fruit and vegetable consumption for the 13.8% of Berrien County residents below the federal poverty guidelines, reflect alarming deficiencies in recommended amounts of fruit and vegetable consumption.

So it is logical to project that an increase in consumption would occur if prices for fruits and vegetables in Berrien County, Michigan were lower than those prices found within primary channels. The logic is that lower prices might have the same impact as higher income; and higher incomes are correlated to greater fruit and vegetable consumption.

Hence, because the farmers’ share of the retail food dollar is now so low (nine cents from each retail dollar spent on food according to several sources), farmers selling to consumers presents an opportunity for both lower retail prices and higher returns to farmers, in theory at least.

Theoretically, one might argue that ready access, combined with producer pricing, would result in consumers choosing local food. This assumption is made even more reasonable through education; consumer awareness of differences between industrialized versus locally-produced food will very likely result in local choices by consumers: Local foods are safer, more nutritious, better tasting, and often less expensive. They’re also much more environmentally “green.” Still, education is the key to action.

Granted, the premise of local choices by consumers is made without much corroborating data. Yet it is based upon the experiences of others within the local foods movement, and from 30 years personal experience in local agricultural economies. For example, the farm gate average price for fresh apples in Michigan is between $6-8 dollars per bushel (42 lb. unit), while that same bushel of apples purchased at retail from almost all major chain store supermarkets is between $54-75 dollars per bushel ($1.29-$1.79 per lb). Clearly, farmer-priced apples sold at retail would likely be very significantly lower, a win/win for farmers and consumers alike.

What we’re eating now

So if we’re not eating much locally-produced food, what are we eating? Compelling evidence suggests Berrien County residents, like most other Americans, are consuming food produced out of state, and increasingly, off shore. 175 countries now export food to the U.S., and for the third consecutive year, the U.S. is a net importer of food. Prior to 2005, the only other time in American history when we were net food importers was 1959. http://www.ca.uky.edu/AGC/NEWS/2005/Feb/imports.htm

Even so, what’s available at the hub’s giant-sized Supercenters, is food from a heavily industrialized agriculture complex: Four corporations control over 80% of all beef slaughter in the U.S. Five corporations control over 80% of broiler chicken production and slaughter. One of these agri-firms has a place in both markets (IBP/Tyson). http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0217-07.htm
http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/Pubs/rp/CompanyFeedSvgsFeb07.pdf

And ninety percent of U.S. poultry is from a vertically integrated chain, where a firm such as Tyson contracts with a poultry grower and provides everything—chicks, feed, veterinary services, vaccines—and then buys the chickens at the end. http://www.tradeobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=89014

And so it goes with many food items today, with just a hand full of conglomerates controlling the vast market share.

So even if it’s not food from off shore, it’s factory food nonetheless. And that’s what we’re eating in Berrien County, Michigan. The same as most every other county in America.

The most desirable solution to these and many other problems within the industrialized food system is to create easy access to locally produced food, and if we are determined to find ways to make that food easily available, then we would begin to see positive differences in food safety, food security, and food sovereignty.

We would begin to see changes for the betterment of our communities, as they once again showed signs of vibrancy and economic growth. For agriculture in Berrien County, Michigan is one very important key to both; and agriculture throughout our entire region contributes to quality of life.

Simply by changing the current marketing and distribution system for food, from one controlled by a giant industrialized agricultural complex, to one that benefits farmers and the local citizenry, we change our quality of life for the better. I predict such a change will dramatically increase consumption of local foods, and will help our citizenry opt for a healthier lifestyle in terms of what they eat. And the stimulus to their local economies from local food consumption is a big bonus.

Of course, I have written and preached for years that ready access to healthy, local food is all that’s needed to realize that change. But not only have we lost ready access, our production of food has declined as well. One simply cannot buy what isn’t on the shelf; and local food is rarely offered on the shelves of chain store supermarkets.

Thus, a double-edged sword has slashed the availability on the one side, while on the other, lack of markets has resulted in production cuts by farmers; they won’t produce what they cannot sell.

$275 Million Market in Berrien County

So totally, a $277 Million market potential exists for local foods, annually, in Berrien County--$75 Million for meats, and $202 Million for other food items.

What that means is if Berrien County, Michigan were truly food sovereign, and if we were committed to eating local food instead of the industrialized stuff (I have a hard time calling it food), then our local (County) economy would enjoy a big shot in the arm, in terms of local spending and then keeping that money in local circulation.

And, as many highly regarded economists suggest, a dollar first spent locally is likely to be circulated between four and seven times within the local economy before it finally leaves. More than a Billion dollars annually could thus circulate within our county, and one can only imagine what impact that kind of cash would have on our communities. Positive impact, no doubt.

http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0209&L=sanet-mg&P=15269 , http://www.ams.usda.gov/TMD/FSMIP/FY2000/IA0288brochure.pdf

So a fabulous opportunity exists for Berrien County residents to lift themselves up simply by supporting a local food system. Think about it: Fresher food items, food that tastes like it’s supposed to taste (as in good….); food without the deep carbon footprint of the industrialized stuff; safer, more secure food; and food that helps build strong local economies and vibrant communities.

The main obstacle

So what’s stopping us? In short, the lack of a modern, scale-appropriate retail venue is what’s stopping us. If we desire safer food, more secure food, and food that makes sense for our communities and the environment, then we must help in providing the access needed so that farmers will take the risk in growing it. We must raise food to a higher level of importance in our lives, and be willing to support the infrastructure needed to insure access.

But even though the questions before us may be simply stated; they are hardly simple: How do we organize an effort to provide a venue where locally produced foods are accessed year around by Berrien County residents? Where do we start? Whom do we include?

Having answers to those questions is akin to having great ideas undelivered; they may be great ideas, but ultimately, only the ideas put into practice are the ones that count. Likewise, only the answers that result in actions taken can make a difference.

In conclusion, I believe agriculture throughout S.W. Lower Michigan has always played an extremely important role in our communities. When agriculture thrives, so too does the rest of our rural economy. But agriculture is not thriving here.

Yet few would wish our region to lose completely that which made us famous in the first place…food. But that is precisely where we’re headed; and unless we act soon, as a community, we will soon reach that destination. I implore anyone with an interest in food safety, food security, food sovereignty, and thriving local economies throughout the Great Fruit Belt in Michigan, to take action now while there’s still time.

Finally, you only plant houses once. Once a farm is developed into a subdivision, it no longer produces food. If nothing happens to change the trend toward the continuing loss of farms and farmland in Berrien County, Michigan, then I predict within twenty years, we will have lost the chance to regain our food system, and our rural economies.

Ahhh, another season for local food.

And a late season too, by historical accounts. We're about ten days later than we've been in the recent past. Spring was cool and wet. The crops are slow in coming.

But we're starting to see raspberries (black and red), sweet cherries, blueberries, summer squash, pickles, onions, radishes, new red potatoes, and a few other early crops. The quality is very good to excellent, depending upon how much rain fell on individual fields. I know I probably say it too much, but rain and fruit crops are not very compatible when flavor and shelf life are considered. I'd rather have it dry than wet, as I hope you've figured out by now.

This season, with energy and food prices skyrocketing, make it a point to seek out local produce. Eat it fresh, but please, don't forget that home-processed food is far superior to almost all industrialized food. Thus, this year especially, take advantage of where you live and put enough away for winter.

Now is the time to process strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and 'B' size potatoes. You'll be very thankful next winter....

An update on peaches

After the rains, peach flavor was noticeably less intense, and the sugar noticeably diluted. That's because prunus species can really uptake free water, especially close to harvest. So for about a week now, I haven't been eating too many peaches. But this morning, I ate a peach of the variety "Early Red Haven" and it was a great peach. Not outstanding mind you, because the water was still there, and it made the flavor a bit bland.

But if it stays dry over the next few days, I predict we'll be back in the tall clover, just in time for "Red Haven," the main season variety that made Michigan peaches famous. "Red Haven" was introduced by Stanley Johnston, peach breeder working for Michigan State University, in 1940. Today, it is the world's most widely planted peach variety.

A few growers in Berrien County made their first picking of Red Haven yesterday. But it's actually the second and third pickings that are the best. So wait about a week if it's dry, and buy Red Haven for the freezer or to can. But if it rains a couple of inches or more, wait until the Flamin' Fury varieties PF 15a, PF 17, and PF 23; they're just as good. Other great varieties for eating and preserving include Glo Haven, Loring, and Bellaire.

I'll post about later varieties later.

We're all in the same boat

Most everything I do professionally is connected to food. Most everything you do is likewise connected to food. Think about it and you’ll agree food is one of life’s true essences, and you can’t do very much of anything without it. Pretty soon you’re going to get hungry, and then soon thereafter, you’re going to get hungry again. That’s just the way it is with us. Over, and over, and over again we’re all going to get hungry often.

So we’re in the same boat—we’re all connected by that essence, like an unbreakable thread binding us, one to another. And so far, the only way to disconnect from food is to die. Maybe someday we won’t be so connected like that, but I doubt it.

Some of us though, know more about that essence than the rest of us. Some of us actually work inside the essence of food doing more than eating it. We’re the ones either to seek out as people who can get the best food, the tastiest food, the healthiest and safest food, or as people who know how to use food as a tool to make money.

Either way, I’m one of those people who know a fair amount about food—where it comes from, how it gets here; how it’s produced; how to produce it; its value in terms of nutrition and enjoyable eating, and its value in terms of its use as a profit center for some really big corporations, and some really small ones too.

And I can tell you what you’re eating today is mostly a part of an incredibly industrialized agricultural complex with a concentrated base vying for a share of the $1 Trillion food market annually in the U.S. And the nutritional value of that food is squat next to its value as a profit maker for the likes of ADM, Cargill, ConAgra, IBP/Tyson, Kraft, and a handful of other huge members of the U.S. Industrialized Agriculture Complex.