The eating local movement is really good news for homeschool entrepreneurs. If you haven’t heard of the eating local movement, it’s basically a grassroots movement to buy your food as close to home as possible. It’s currently estimated that the average meal travels 1500 miles to get to your table, which translates to a lot of gas! As for the environmental impact, it’s a no brainer. A study at Cornell University actually stated that if Americans ate local and reduced their junk food consumption (which requires more than average processing and packaging) we could reduce our oil consumption by 50%! It takes an estimated 500 gallons of oil to produce and transport food per person, so if everybody in the US ate local just ONE day per week, that translates into a reduction in oil usage of 21 BILLION gallons per year. Do you think that would make a difference?
The “Five is fine, but nine is divine” fruit and vegetable quota is toted as a ticket to good health, but buying that produce locally would bring countless other benefits to your local economy! Did I mention that homegrown food tastes better? Oh, you know that already! I know that many homeschool families already grow their own food, and are more than aware of the health benefits, but have you thought about the BUSINESS benefits to this ‘eat local’ movement?
I’ve never seen any statistics gathered on homeschool families and exactly how many live on a farm, or have a sizeable garden, but my guess is a very high percentage do….or would like to. Starting a CSA is a little more complicated of an effort (though VERY doable), but selling at a farmer’s market is relatively simple. I’ve listed several places to find a farmer’s market in your area at the end of this post.
What if you don’t have a place to farm or garden? You could organize a farmer’s market, or help coop several smaller growers into a group effort, or make or bake a great food item from locally purchased food. Jams, jellies, breads, even herbal remedies and teas all go well at the farmer’s market. Start planning now because the projections are for next year to be a record breaker for local farmer’s markets!
What can you do now? If you have some land you haven’t planted, till it under and plant a cover crop-if you aren’t too far north, you still have time. Contact your AG center for good cover crops in your area, and a nearby farmer might help you out with plowing the land if you don’t have the equipment. You can also get a wealth of information from your county extension agent about the best crops to grow, how to make jams and much, much more. Calling the contact person of your local farmer’s market would be wise if you’re not sure what to offer. They can tell you what items are in demand, and which are over-supplied! They can also tell you what you need to do if you are planning on joining their market next year.
I’m really excited about this “Eat Local” movement, I believe that it is bringing hope to the family farm and to families that would like to have a self-sustaining lifestyle. Most of all, it’s opening a new area of business possibilities to the homeschool family, and everyone will be healthier for it!
Here’s some resources to get you started:
The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
Food Routes.com Plan your next trip with stops at all the best LOCAL food stops! On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSA’s, and markets near you.
http://www.localharvest.org/ This website will help you find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably-grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)
www.buylocalfood.com
CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms.
Chicago’s Green City Market Chicago’s only sustainable market with the highest quality locally farmed products
Usda.gov has a WholesaleandFarmersMarkets page – fantastic resource!
photo credit: jwalsh
