Local Food

As discussed in the "Sustainability of Harper's Choice" post, there is currently little to no connection in the Village of Harper's choice to the local food system. What does this mean and why does this matter?


In recognition of the destructive social, environmental and economic impacts of the global industrial food system, a movement is growing to return to traditional, local food systems in which food is produced for local and regional consumption. The local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies, in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place (Feenstra, 2002)."  It is part of the concept of local economies; a preference to buy locally produced goods and services rather than those produced by corporatized institutions. 


There are numerous benefits to supporting local food producers, which tend to be smaller and increasingly environmentally aware farmers. By buying local: “food miles” are relatively small, which substantially reduces fossil fuel use and pollution; farmers are able to diversify, which creates many niches on the farm for biodiversity to flourish; soil erosion is diminished along with the lesser reliance on heavy machinery; and organic methods are more likely to be adopted given the greater resilience of polycultures.  From an economic perspective, local foods systems driven by small diversified farms can help reinvigorate entire economies because most of the money spent on food goes to the farmer and small farms employ more people per acre than large monocultures. Local food is almost by definition fresher and less processed than global food, making it more nutritious.  Food security would also be dramatically improved if people depended more on local foods. Instead of being concentrated in a handful of corporations, control over food would be dispersed and decentralized. As this is a brief overview of local foods and the associated benefits, a length list of resources has been provided at the end of this post. 

Broad and lasting transition to local food systems will require changes at the level of trade treaties, national policies, and governmental subsidies to prioritize domestic and local capabilities instead of transnational corporations.  However, the good news is that there are a number of things that can be done to help Harper's Choice become a community of locavores - people who are interested in eating food that is locally produced rather than moved long distances to market. 

From a Village Center Perspective:

• Reach out to local farmers offering CSAs and encourage them to have the community center, Kahler Hall, be a drop off point. Advertise any resulting CSA opportunities to the community through the newsletter and at Kahler Hall. 
• Cultivate a weekly farmers market to be held in Joseph Square
• Work with the Columbia Association to establish a community garden on some of their open land, either around Joseph Square or near the Sports Park.
• Cultivate citizen interest to petition Kimco, the retail property owner, to encourage/select new merchants that are locally owned and source food from local producers. Similarly, petition and work with Safeway and the existing locally owned restaurants to encourage them to source local, seasonal food and fair trade food where local isn't possible.
• Create educational opportunities for Village Center residents about the value of local foods.

At the individual level, people can be encouraged to:

-Shop at Farmers Markets

-Participate in community supported agriculture (CSAs)
-Start a small garden, even if it is herbs in window boxes or planters 
-Eat whole foods and avoid food-like products

-Read food labels; buy things with few (and pronouncable) ingredients

-Look for fair trade certified labels

-Learn how to can, dry, and freeze local foods purchased at their peak for use in "off" seasons

-Compost food waste and use the resulting soil in your garden

Local food resources:

• Become a locavore - http://becomealocavore.shutterfly.com/ 
• Agroecology Home - http://www.agroecology.org/
• Center for Ecoliteracy - www.ecoliteracy.org
• Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems-  http://casfs.ucsc.edu/
• Community Food Security Coalition - http://www.foodsecurity.org/
• Edible Schoolyard Project - http://edibleschoolyard.org/
• Food First - http://www.foodfirst.org/
• Food Research and Action Group - http://frac.org/
• Food Routes: http://www.foodroutes.org/mission.jsp
• Michael Pollen’s writing - http://michaelpollan.com/articles/
• National Farm to School Network - www.farmtoschool.org
• Navdanya: Vandana Shiva’s organization - http://www.navdanya.org/about-us
• Raj Patel: http://rajpatel.org/
• Real Food Challenge - http://realfoodchallenge.org/
• Seed Savers Exchange - http://www.seedsavers.org/
• Slow Foods Movement - http://www.slowfoodusa.org/
• The Food Project - www.thefoodproject.org
• Wendell Berry - http://www.wendellberrybooks.com/

Local Currency - Columbia Cash

Local currencies can play a vital role in the development of stable, diversified regional economies, giving definition and identity to regions, encouraging face-to-face transactions between neighbors, and helping to revitalize local cultures (New Economics Institute). Local currencies strengthen local economies by avoiding the leaky bucket syndrome where wealth that is generated within a community "leaks" out to the wider economy at large. A local currency is not simply an economic tool; it is also a cultural tool.  As such, Columbia, Maryland, which was visionary when it was created, seems ripe for the creation of "Columbia Cash" which would help to strengthen the local economy, and be particularly supportive of vibrant Village Center commerce as they face competition from big box stores on the periphery of town.

Since 2002 there has been an upsurge in local currency usage particularly payment voucher-based systems that are exchangeable with the national currency. Such currencies aim to increase the resilience of local economies by encouraging re-localisation of buying and food production. The drive for this change comes from a variety of community-based initiatives and social movements. The Transition Towns movement originating in the UK has utilized local currencies for re-localisation in the face of energy descent from peak oil and climate change. Other drivers include movements against "Clone Town" and the impacts of big-box stores.

Time Dollars, Ithaca Hours, and BerkShares are among the most successful local currency systems in the USA.  In considering a local currency model for Columbia, BerkShares seems to be a viable example. BerkShares are a local currency for the Berkshire region of Massachusetts intended to be a tool for community empowerment, enabling merchants and consumers to plant the seeds for an alternative economic future for their communities. Launched in the fall of 2006, over one million BerkShares were circulated in the first nine months and over 3.3 million as of March 2012 (New Economics Institute).

In considering a local currency for Columbia, The Schumacher Society recommends the following policies to maintain long-term confidence:

• The issuing organization should be incorporated as a nonprofit so the public understands that providing access to credit is a service not linked to private gain. The organization should be democratic, with membership open to all area residents and with a board elected by the members.
• Its policy should be to create new short-term credit for productive purposes. Such credit is normally provided for up to three months for goods or services that have already been produced and are on their way to market-credit for things which pay for themselves in a very short time.
• The regional bank or currency organization should be free of governmental control-other than inspection-so that investment decisions are independent and are made by the community.
• Social and ecological criteria should be introduced into loan-making. (Community investment funds also use a positive set of social criteria particular to their own region. These funds could join with hard-pressed local banks to initiate regional currencies.)
• Loan programs and local currencies should support local production for local needs.

Community groups across the country, from Kansas City, to Eugene, to Boulder, to Philmont, New York, are issuing their own currencies, and each is uniquely tailored to the people, culture, and products of the region. As Columbia looks to ensure a vibrant next 40 years, local currency warrants a place in the discussion.