You can’t go anywhere these days without hearing talk of the economy.  It seems our “spend now and pay for it later” days are over.  Now the “pay for it later” days are here.  No one seems too thrilled about that, but as we all tighten our grip on the old wallet, there are many who fall victim to the “cheap food” trap.  When the grocery budget gets smaller and smaller and the kids are getting bigger and bigger, I can understand why the temptation to buy the most inexpensive food would be there.  But it’s no secret that fresh from the farm veggies are more nutritious than say, a bag of chips.  (Right?  I’m assuming this isn’t news to anyone!)  So where do you draw the line? 

I’d like to go a step or two further than the grocery store shelves and suggest that when comparing the cost of your food, you look at the whole picture instead of the end product.  Now, it would make sense that with all the middle men and processing grocery store items go through, the producer would have to charge a fortune, right?  I mean, how else would all of those hard workers get paid a fair wage?  When you buy from the Farmer’s Market, you are buying directly from the farmer, so shouldn’t it be super cheap?  Well, that’s where the little phrase “fair wage” comes in.   At the Farmer’s Market and with our CSA program, we factor in things like labor, materials, and time and charge a fair price based on our costs.  This is not always possible when selling to grocery stores or in other large establishments.  Very often, the price is set by the store and if you want to sell your product, you’ll take what they offer.  Definitely not a fair wage. 

I’ve many friends and family members who refuse to shop at a certain “Mart” because of the fact that they put the little guy out of business, or they don’t pay their employees a fair wage, or they don’t pay their suppliers a fair wage, or whatever the offense.  (I don’t shop there because of these reasons, but mostly because I find it very trashy to shop in your pajamas and slippers.  Eww.)  But these same people who’ve drawn the line at the big box store will say to me, “But Kelly, I can’t afford to buy local food.”  I fail to see the difference.  If you don’t want to support companies that exploit their workers, you can’t ignore all of the farmers out there that can barely get by off of the crops they grow. 

As a nation, we splurge.  Admit it, there are some things that you find the extra money for.  I know I do.  We like to treat ourselves, which is great.  Some of us will spend a little extra on those cute shoes, some a little extra on a great car, and some just like to grab a fancy coffee drink every once in awhile.  Shouldn’t we all find the extra money to spend on food that not only tastes great, but also nourishes us and keeps us healthy?  Believe me, the taste of doing the right thing is very delicious!

The local Fox affiliate produced a segment on our Community Supported Agriculture program. Spreading awareness of the local food system is an important part of our work, and we’re grateful for the attention. Thanks to Meg and Nicole for being so great on camera!

-Brian

You are invited to join us for the Omaha Farm Tour on Saturday, May 15th. At this public event, you can tour the farm, enjoy a potluck dinner with Slow Food Omaha and see a barnside screening of FRESH. Click on the chicken for all the details.

This Saturday marks the launch of the farmers market season in Omaha. As many of you know, we have chosen to concentrate on our CSA this year instead of participating in a public market. At this point in our business, it makes more sense for us to spend time on the farm. We need to address our labor issues and work on our infrastructure.

As a farmer and an eater, I am thrilled by the growth in our local food system. This marks the fifth year of the Village Pointe Farmers Market. Previously, the only serious farmers market was the Omaha Farmers Market downtown. This year, there will be at least 12 markets through the greater metro area. That shows huge growth, not only among the general public, but for our local farms. I can only hope that this will affect out community’s respect and understanding for the importance of farmland near an urban center.

This weekend, we will hold our CSA Orientation. It’s the kickoff for our program, and our chance to meet the people who chose us as their personal farm for 2010. We’re very excited! (As a side note, we are taking names for the 2011 CSA lottery.)

And, lastly, I encourage everyone to start growing something of their own. No matter how many farmers markets, farms or CSAs we have, there’s nothing better than food you’ve grown yourself.

-Brian