New Year's Resolution: Eat Local

A year ago I read a post on Facebook that gave me pause. In it, Massachusetts farmer Jamie Theodoros wrote, "$250,000/acre. That is the current worth of my farm to a developer."

Theodoros said her family receives phone calls from real estate developers on a regular basis, hoping they will sell out. "[The developers] are waiting to catch us in a weak moment; a bad season, a stressful month, a day of struggle." I have heard of similar pressures in our region.

What keeps small farms going? We do.

Jamie wrote, "As you make resolutions for the New Year, please add LOCAL FARMS to your list. ... Once land is gone, it is gone forever. The future of your working landscapes, farms and pastures relies on the community just as much as the owner and caretaker." 

What will make a difference? In this day and age, I believe it's okay to start small. If you can, resolve to use one locally produced ingredient in each meal. Or one meal each week with a majority of local ingredients. They're easy to find at Good Groceries, where everything is sourced from a small farmer, rancher, or maker in the Pacific Northwest.

If you can do more than that, terrific! But (to paraphrase Voltaire) please don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

"Farms will stand strong against development pressure as long as their neighbors support them."