Category Archives: Uncategorized
After all, it is the 21st century and not the 1900s
Even though I was born in the 1900s, I have to adapt to the demands and expectations of the 21st century. Farming and water stewardship also face new demands and expectations since it is the 21st century and not the 1900s.
The Circle of Food System Connections and Support
Eat Local, Buy Local for Community and the Economy
The Virginia Food System Council and its participating organizations would like to encourage you to take the $10 a week challenge to grow Virginia’s economy. The challenge is one way to bolster local markets for Virginia farmers and increase opportunities for households and communities to know their farmer and where their food comes from. Come on Virginia and take the pledge to Eat Local Buy Local!
Of Farmers and Farmland: Virginia’s Declining Agriculture of the Middle
The dilemma of Virginia’s small to mid-level farmers and lost farmland
For some people, the loss of small to mid-level farms is inevitable because these farms either lack the economy of scale to compete in an ever-changing globally oriented commodity-based market or do not have the flexibility and resources to transition to a more direct-to-consumer market. Indeed, many small and mid-level farms in Virginia, those with annual gross sales of between $50,000 and $500,000, are struggling to survive financially.
Getting Local Foods to Scale
There is unprecedented demand for local foods across Virginia and the United States. Presently, the demand appears to be greater than the supply of locally-grown and identified foods. Many groups, organizations, and universities are looking to scale up local foods to meet the demand and strengthen the overall food system so local foods are available and accessible to more people of all socioeconomic levels. In 2009, the University Wisconsin’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems identified 10 keys to scaling up to meet the demand for local food:
Small Step, Big Impact
With the unprecedented demand for local foods in Virginia and the United States, it can be challenging, and at times overwhelming, to know where to start and how to support local farmers in very practical and tangible ways. One recommendation of the Virginia Farm to Table Plan is to encourage each household in Virginia to spend $10 per week of their total food budget on locally-grown Virginia food and farm products year-round.
Why is a Community-Based Food System Important?
| Virginia communities face a multitude of economic, environmental, and social challenges. The prolonged recession has generated a sense of urgency and has triggered discussions about community economic development strategies that will promote short-term economic recovery and long-term economic vitality, community viability, and improved quality of life. |