Image via WikipediaAs I am sitting here in my dorm room at the University of Kentucky, I have realized that I have way too much free time. Number one, I have become bored enough to look up articles on sustainable agriculture without some professor mandating that I do so for some essay. And Number two, I am here writing this article for my blog. Normally, I have so much studying and homework, I can’t even catch up on Facebook let alone BlogSpot. But as a student, I am so not complaining.
If you are a teenager or college student, you might be going, “well, if you have so much free time, why aren’t you out at some frat party? Or out drinking with friends? Isn’t that what you do when you’re in college?” And really, I’ve actually asked myself that a few times.
In truth, I don’t really do the party scene. I guess it was just bred out of me because my parents most definantly never go partying (except every year to go to a Farm Bureau Christmas Party). My social scene is probably more along the lines of “lets grab a couple Pepsi’s/coke, a pepperoni/cheese pizza, and a movie/bonfire.” Just choose one of each of these three choices, and you have a respectable date/night out/party/evening.
You’re probably still wondering why I’m still spending time writing this. Well the thing is that I’ve been thinking a lot about my farm and what the goals of Clover Creek Farm should be. I’m not talking about short term goals like buying a new tractor or building a new barn. I’m talking about a goal that is more long term. It is a goal that I really need help with; not only from my family, but with help from customers and friends.
When I listen to presentations from extremely successful organic farms and C.S.A.’s (Community Supported Agriculture) the thing I hear most is that their goal is to provide a healthier, fresher, friendlier alternative food to the community………….wow. Really? That is you’re ultimate goal? Your first and foremost goal is NOT to make enough money to sustain yourself? Well, the answer is yes, but only if it is achieved on the way.
It’s no secret that Bell County is full of citizens who utilize welfare and food stamps. But one of the things that baffled me a few years ago is that people don’t use those food stamps to buy healthy food. When the Middlesboro Farmer’s Market was in full swing in mid-summer, the Farmer’s Market council decided that it would be a good idea to purchase an EBT machine. That way, people could use debit cards and food stamps to buy farm fresh produce. But, at the end of the season, even with all of the advertising that we did, we only snagged ONE person to use their Food Stamps!
The young lady that used her food stamps at the Market had a baby on her hip and a little one holding her free hand. What caused her to use her food stamps? Well, she had no cash, but the huge homegrown strawberries caught her children’s eyes. They were enough to make anyone’s mouth water!
I began to wonder: with so many Bell County folks with food stamps, why the scarcity at local food marts? Slowly, it dawns on me. When a person has low income, the first thing to come to mind is to begin making better financial decisions. This means, while grocery shopping, keeping an eye on the price and only purchasing items that are cheap. It’s a preconceived notion that the cheaper priced items you buy, the more that you can afford. There’s only one problem: the cheaper food lacks good nutrition!
Even with food stamps, Americans still carry this notion. Junk food fills up their buggies and by the time they reach the fresh produce aisle, they have a full buggy. It doesn’t help that Grocery Stores take advantage of this either. The price of junk food is SO cheap! The cheaper it is, the more likely you are to buy more of it, and thereby spending more!
This 2011 season, I hope that you will support your local farmers and growers. Like I said before, I need help from the community. If people change their eating habits and decide, “Hey, I want a fresh homegrown tomato for my sandwich today!” then my work here with this blog will be complete. Support local Farmer’s Markets and if you don’t have the ability to drive to one every Saturday, then entice me to your area by starting a Market in your area (someday, I hope to have a Farmer’s Market in Pineville).
Thanks for reading,
Richard Mason
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