Creating Change….. Creating Change….. ….because you REALLY are REALLY are what you eat what you eat

Food and Farming Team Food and Farming TeamObjectives: Continue to publish annual Local Food Directory Continue to publish annual Local Food Directory Consumer education including local/organic/environment awareness Consumer education including local/organic/environment awareness Supporting local food security Supporting local food security Connecting small/urban farmers to affordable programs and land Connecting small/urban farmers to affordable programs and land Promotion/outreach to support local food, profitable farms, community and ecological growing practices. Promotion/outreach to support local food, profitable farms, community and ecological growing practices.

“ Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food” Michael Pollan You are listening to…. “Water From Another Time” John McCutcheon

Food System Problems Exist at every level in the industrial food production system Exist at every level in the industrial food production system Are having an impact on our health Are having an impact on our health Are impacting our ecological, social and economical environment in less than desirable ways Are impacting our ecological, social and economical environment in less than desirable ways Are hidden, for the most part, from us Are hidden, for the most part, from us

We need “a little water from another time” We need “a little water from another time” “Consider the associations that have since ancient times clustered around the idea of food – associations of mutual care, generosity, neighborliness, festivity, communal joy, religious ceremony…” - Wendell Berry, “The Unsettling of America” - Wendell Berry, “The Unsettling of America”

Food takes … Time

Food requires…. Relationship

Food requires… Connection Connection

Personal Food Networks food, skills, knowledge, supplies, education, advocacy, equipment, services Personal Food Networks food, skills, knowledge, supplies, education, advocacy, equipment, services

Personal Food Networks Key Concepts… Personal Food Networks Key Concepts… Living food …. Living food …. from ecological, living production methods that are rich in microbial life and are nutrient dense from ecological, living production methods that are rich in microbial life and are nutrient dense

Personal Food Networks Key Concepts… Personal Food Networks Key Concepts… Health… Health… of soil, plants, animals and people; avoidance of chemicals, additives, toxins of soil, plants, animals and people; avoidance of chemicals, additives, toxins Daniel Goleman, author of “Ecological Intelligence” tells us that we have not developed the sensitivities to the minute levels and types of toxins we now encounter in our food.

Personal Food Networks Key Concepts… Differentiation… Differentiation… between formal/public food networks from the informal/personal food networks. Use the formal networks as a point of departure, not a point of arrival, for the development of personal food networks. between formal/public food networks from the informal/personal food networks. Use the formal networks as a point of departure, not a point of arrival, for the development of personal food networks.

Personal Food Networks Key Concepts… Personal Food Networks Key Concepts… Redefining quality…. Redefining quality…. What does it mean to YOU? absence of toxins? variety in appearance? richness in flavor? raised humanely? nutrient dense? OR the standardized, sanitized, shrink wrapped, mistreated, nutrient poor food from the industrial food system

“CPR” for our food “CPR” for our food The questions to answer as we look at our food: Is it C lean? Is it C lean? How was it P rocessed? How was it P rocessed? How was it R aised? How was it R aised?

Our “To Do” list…. get to know producers get to know producers Ask questions Ask questions Associate with people of “like mind” Associate with people of “like mind” Talk/source/congregate/coordinate Talk/source/congregate/coordinate ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS around food ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS around food Create space and TIME for food Create space and TIME for food Drink a “little water from another time” – you’ll enjoy it! Drink a “little water from another time” – you’ll enjoy it!

So, how about if your … Food Food Health Health Local economy Local economy Community Community Environment Environment Were all 10% better? Take the time! Take the time! Make the shift! Make the shift!