Many understand that agriculture holds a profound presence in rural communities and contributes greatly to industry, productivity, and sustainability. Agriculture is also vital to urbanized areas that are surrounded by rural communities. Among the many avenues being pursued by Farm Bureau members to enhance community and consumer education on agricultural products and issues, is the recent “Save Our Food” campaign launched by Virginia Farm Bureau (saveourfood.org). Following closely on the heels of a Cooperative Extension study of the economic impact of buying local produce on counties around the Commonwealth and an endorsement by Governor Tim Kaine of the August 3-9 National Farmers Market Week, the Virginia Department of Agriculture challenged residents to eat locally for one day during this time.
The county in which I reside is rural, with roughly 30,000 residents occupying 550 square miles. The county in which I serve Farm Bureau board positions, by comparison, touts itself as primarily urban (78%) with over 88,000 residents in 250 square miles. Interestingly, the state’s oldest year-round daily farmers market is in the hub city of this locale. Research reveals that if every household in the county spent $10 a week on locally produced foods, the economic impact over a year would exceed $24 million. Great fact and potential, but there are not enough farms in the county to supply that type of demand. A press conference held Friday was attended by Farm Bureau personnel from the state capital, local producers and consumers, and a multitude of press. The resulting coverage that was actually aired was poor, to say the least, and the newspaper did a slightly better job. NO mention was made of where to network with local producers and seek information, however, and online comments have already hit the network sites asking why locations of markets were not mentioned.
So, in an attempt to share a wealth of local agriculture and preserve farms, and subsequently our food, an information gap could ultimately backfire on the whole event and its purpose. Rural communities cannot exist without agriculture, and urban communities are beautified and enriched by it. If we can’t network and educate efficiently, however, our future survival is adversely impacted. My farm is across the street from Wal-Mart and at an intersection that sees 35,000 vehicles a day. Why am I asked on a regular basis where we are located? Are people so caught up in their routines that they forget to absorb their surroundings? Sounds like time for a letter to the editor…