How do they relate to Buy Fresh, Buy Local, locavores & CSA’s? 

Let NIBBLERS try to explain as best we can. Organic can mean different things, as the term was in use long before the government codified it. But it can be generalized as food which has not been produced with antibiotics, growth hormones, irradiation, chemical pesticides, artificial fertilizers. The USDA says further that “organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources & the conservation of soil & water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.” They also require livestock to have “access” to the outdoors. However, the USDA rarely enforces these concepts, and really only ensures that the basic rules are followed. Many organic farmers & producers use higher standards than the USDA, and there are other certifying organizations, notably QAI & BIO (the European identifier for organic). Sustainable is a combination of many different concepts, of which organic & biodynamic can can be considered part of. The general concept is meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of tomorrow. We feel this is really the ultimate goal, zero impact, at least negative impact. Many different organizations certify sustainability, but there is no government oversight of the term. Fair Trade involves ensuring that the farmers & workers who actually produce the food we eat are able to receive a “fair” wage. Not that most of us could survive on “fair-trade” wages. Still most notable in chocolate & coffee, most of which is grown is poor African & South American communities, this term is now applied to a whole range of foodstuffs, and labeled with the Fair Trade Certified mark. Biodynamic is one of the movements that originally spawned organic. Based on the ideas of Rudolph Steiner, biodynamics focuses on creating a viable biosphere in the farming environment, restoring watersheds and encouraging wildlife. Biodynamic agriculture is certified by the Demeter Association.  Slow Food is an organization based in Italy with adherents around the world, which aims to return our eating habits to traditional styles. With changed eating habits comes a focus on artisan food production, seasonality, and certainly sustainable agriculture & family farms. Alice Waters, the spirit of Chez Panisse, is the head honcho of the Slow Food organization in the states.  Buy Fresh Buy Local is a program launched by the Community Alliance with Family Farms to create local markets for the products of family farms. It supports the creation of farmers’ markets, CSAs and progressive school lunch programs, and has guides & lists of retailers, restaurants & caterers committed to using local products.  Locavores try to create a diet solely based on products from an identified geographical range, 20 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles, Northern California, etc....an admirable outlook, but one sadly lacking in chocolate, coffee, tea, pineapple, avocados, mangos....you get the idea.  CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) are programs where farms & producers deliver products directly to the consumers, on a membership basis. This is one of the most effective methods for the continued survival of family farms, but it’s being pushed to the point that now even charcouterie producers are offering CSAs. Those are the basics as we see them.

Make a difference. Vote with your dollars.