Weighing in on a year in Vermont
We jumped right into the deep end of the “good food movement”
Vermont was the perfect transition from a life of international travel to a place where we could be a part of and engage with the food community around us. We were able to witness the incredible way Vermonters are collaborating to ensure their communities have a resilient food system. From individual citizens and small business owners to local community organizations and statewide agencies, the dedication to the shared goal is inspiring and humbling.
In Vermont, environmentalists, agriculturists, human rights advocates and business owners speak to each other on equal ground, because as we have learned, the food system is not a closed system. It affects and is affected by people, policy, the environment and the economy. Activists from all sides come together to collaborate in order to move forward and to find positive future outcomes.
We saw:
- New agricultural regulations put into place to combat soil erosion and assuage Lake Champlain’s water pollution from dairy run-off.
- Training provided to farmers for cover cropping and no tilling systems that improve soil conditions.
- Solutions to issues such as food access and insecurity actively being promoted at the local and state levels.
We engaged with migrant farmers and supported organizations that give them a voice, protect their human rights as workers and recognize them as valuable members of the state’s food community.
We’ve learned that:
- The term “local” needs to be expanded to include a regional lens.
- The purchasing power of citizens is huge. Farmers cannot lower the prices of their produce without pricing themselves out of a livelihood. Citizens can support their local farming economy by directing their dollars back into their communities by purchasing local food.
- Policy makers must work alongside farmers, educators, scientists, health care and social workers to ensure a resilient food system.
Most importantly, we have been inspired by the work of these countless community members who believe in working and cooperating together to achieve a more sustainable and food secure future. Wherever our feet find us next, you can be sure that we will be bringing all of these ideas, concepts and new wisdom with us to fight for greater and positive change in the surrounding food systems.
Signing out of 2016 with one of our favorite Wendell Berry quotes:
"A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one's accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which food comes."
- Wendell Berry, The Pleasures of Eating
