How Can We Eat Local All Year Long?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 08.31.06
TreeHugger prattles on and on about eating local food: it doesn't have to go as far, so it can be picked and arrive at your table fresher, and doesn't cause an excess of greenhouse gases to be spewed into our atmosphere as a result of shipping, and that makes it better. That's all well and good during the late spring and summer, when growing season is at its peak, farmer's markets are more plentiful and local produce is easiest to come by, but what about in winter, when everything cools off? Tom Philpott, staff writer at Grist and farmer in North Carolina, knows a thing or two about local food production, and has written an article about how to do it all year 'round. His answer: small farms (like his) and greenhouses, where temperatures can be raised by the sun and regulated and maintained by thermal mass, thus producing summertime-like conditions all winter. He's built a greenhouse, and will be trying it out himself this winter. Read the whole article for more thoughts on the local food revolution, in ::Grist.
Hi
I always enjoy your website!
I would like to comment on your article about buying local produce. Yes I can totally agree with the idea. I also buy local products even though they can be slightly more pricy than imported and often more delicious food products such as pasta sauce (the local ones tend to be watery). The local fresh squeeze fruit juices cost may be double or triple of the ones made from imported concentrates. Anyway that's about the ethical choice so far. What I am concerned with is that in Australia GM crops are legally and pretty wildely produced like in the US and that can get into any local food chain whether deliverately or not. It may be safer (I am not going to debate safety of GM food here) to buy European imports because they are almost certainly non-GM. Those supposed to be healthy breakfast cereals don't say they are non-GM on the packaging and in Australia the manufacturers get away with just stating "made with local and imported ingredients". Only those certified organic and non-GM food products can guarantee their safety and perhaps well over 95 per cent of food products you find in the regular supermarkets here in Australia are suspicious of containing GM ingredients. Since Australia being the 51 st state of the United States I don't think there will be a ban on GM crops and break the chain (probably too late as it's been used to feed livestocks too). I wonder I should keep buying local food or Euro imports.....
Can you give me an advice??
Regards
Josh
I was shopping last week at a Bigg's and I noticed tags here and there that had a picture of Ohio and the surrounding states and it said local in bold letters. I thought it was really cool, they don't talk about it on their website and have not returned an email for comment. It’s nice to see someone taking an intuitive on this locally.
Thank you for this post. I am currently doing a lot of research into organic farming and greenhouse design and this post led me to a number of very useful links. Keep up the good work.
Green houses can actually become energy sources. In the Netherlands a pilot project is running where heat exchangers are used to store excess heat in ground water in the summer and to retrieve it in the winter.
The designers calculate that there may well be a heat excess that could be used by nearby offices building.
The pilot greenhouse was opened in Bergerden (near Arnhem) in May 2006 (press release in Dutch only at http://www.kasalsenergiebron.nl/kasalsenergiebron/persbericht24mei.pdf). The first year will show whether or not the greenhouse lives up to the promise of delivering excess energy.
For more info (in English) see http://www.kasalsenergiebron.nl/kasalsenergiebron/prijsvraag/en/default.html and http://www.agro.nl/innovatienetwerk/english/tdl/projecten/kas_als_energiebron.html
You Grow Girl did an interview with two sisters in Kimberley, Ontario who grow most of their own food (hence, quite local) and store a good deal of it through the winter by canning or freezing. Certainly a greenhouse would extend their growing season, but they seem to be satisfied just using a root cellar.
The interview is at:
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/explore/interview_wilda_lois.php
Greenhouse tomatoes may be okay if you're far enough south, but for us northerners, I don't think there's ever going to be enough sunshine in January.
A freezer, a vacuum sealer, a food dehydrator and a few evenings of 'putting up' the goodies from a CSA, or better yet, one's own garden, seems preferable to me.
Great post, Collin! This year, up in Montana, we've been doing some freezing from the farmers' market, and my mother bought and Energy Star freezer to hold a side of beef from a local ranch. When I'm here, am excited that the organic raspberries in my smoothies won't have come all the way from Chile...
Great article. Yes it can work! I harvest spinach, arugula, asian greens, pac choi and more in the middle of winter in Michigan in my passive solar hoophouse. You have to be smart about the plants you plant for the four seasons, e.g. cold hardy things for the winter and educate your customers. My tomatoes don't last past November and then customers have to wait til May but there's something special about the first fresh tomatoes anyhow. Can, freeze or dry them for the other months. The grist article references Eliot Coleman, definitely check his books and www.fourseasonfarm.com. Also check the MSU Student Organic Farm and Steve Moore in PA (search newfarm.org article archives). My farm brines.org was inspired by all of these.
Regarding GMO in places like US and Australia, my best advice would be to recruit a farmer nearby to fill your market demand. Perhaps conduct a quick poll to show them that there would be demand. You'd be surprised, there are more and more people interested and even "conventional" farmers might go for it if they see a market for it. If that doesn't work, recruit some business partners (preferably one with a green thumb) and do it yourselves. It's easier than you think.
Marty is right. Eat seasonable vegetables and preserve during the off months.
I agree with Marty and jacson. Preserving food allows people to eat local all year round. I bought a canner this summer and so far I have made pickled beets and strawberry-rhubarb jam. It's a step in the right direction.