“Goodbye Farmers Market, Hello Food Club”?

Recently, I have been participating in the listserve of the Ten Rivers Food Web.  The group is a collection of farmers, community oriented agricultural enthusiasts, and citizens concerned about sustainable food systems within the area of ten rivers, i.e. Corvallis, Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home, and the surrounding communities of Oregon.

A new post with the title “goodbye farmers’ market, hello food club” caught my immediate attention.  In essence, the author described how markets can be a time burden for growers - spending every weekend during the growing season at the market and the accompanying lack of sleep that comes with organizing such an effort is a taxing endeavor.

What if consumers had the opportunity for the market to be brought to them?  In most communities, we know where the closest grocery store, pharmacy, post office, etc. is in relation to our daily commute.  What if a network existed where I could discover where the closest beef, chicken, dairy, vegetable, and fruit producers in my neighborhood?  What’s more, imagine if I could place orders directly with these producers and pick up food from all four food groups in one convenient location.  Revolution!

Food buying clubs can take many forms.  For example, the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon have started a food buying club which connects congregational members with a farmer who grows specifically for that group.  The food buying group members benefit from wholesale pricing on the culturally specific vegetables farmers are selected to grow.  Members also have access to a community kitchen with resources for canning and storage of their harvest at the end of the growing season.  Another example of food buying networks in action is the Farm to School program.  Students across the country are benefiting from fresh food grown within 150 miles of home as part of a daily school lunch program; one such example is EcoTrusts’s Farm to School Program.  Many schools in Oregon are incorporating community agriculture as part of health education programs.  The Oregonian highlights several efforts in it’s Food Day Section.

This additional level of infrastructure is providing consumers with the convenience of local, sustainable, balanced food choices while building important community relationships.  Not only do families with children have the opportunity to encourage healthy eating habits and crucial relationships with food sources from an early age, but also any rural family facing the challenges in today’s economic market can buy direct and save money on nutritious, fresh, whole food options with out the long drive to the overpriced grocery store or overpicked market.  Low-income families have increasingly more options for fresh, whole food choices as part of food assistance programs.  Ultimately, these changes are only the beginning in the restructuring efforts necessary to reform America’s food web.