Organic Locally Sourced Food

America’s vast food supply has increased. Foods that were once hard to come by can be found in almost all the grocery stores across the nation. In the article “What’s Eating America”, by Michael Pollan, who is a professor of journalism, explains how the bounty of food came about. He writes about the creation of synthetic fertilizer and how it was used to fertilize crops and essentially make all the foods today. He writes about the harmful effects that are occurring as a result of the chemically made fertilizer. In another article called written by Katherine Spriggs, a student from Stanford University, she writes about the benefits of buying local versus becoming dependent on the import of food. She feels that buying from local farms

Over the last few years, awareness of organic food has risen. Due to this, the demand for organic food is a factor which is influencing the farmers to switch to use this technique, and it is being sold in specialty stores and conventional supermarkets. Organic products contain numerous marketing claims that it is healthier, it offers more value, and the farming is more environmentally friendly than traditional foods, so, how does one determine if organic is the way to go? Some argue that there is evidence that supports and demonstrates why organic foods and farming are better overall, while others insist that conventional foods and agriculture can offer the same benefits as going organic. There is no right or wrong answer. Within this

If the first thing that pops into your head when you buy ‘organic’ is a small locally owned farm,

A major criticism of organic foods is the obvious price increase included with purchasing organic products. While there are numerous reasons for the price premium associated with organic foods, the most obvious reasons are the cost of organic supplies such as feed and fertilizer to make a profit. George Siemon, CEO of the Organic Valley co-op, states that “A ton of organic cattle feed can cost from $350 to $400 a ton versus $220 or less for a ton of conventional feed,” illustrating a major price difference for simply fertilizing a crop (Simon). With access to more resources than organic farmers, conventional farmers will often spend less in the overall farming of a crop than organic farmers, increasing their profits. Conventional farmers often use materials such as “sewage sludge, which is cheap to buy, and chemical fertilizers, which are both cheap to buy and cheap to transport” (Simon). Using these potentially hazardous chemicals for crop production runs the major risk of chemical runoff and contamination of local water supplies or reservoirs, which will directly affect

The general public sees any type of organic food as being produced “straight out of a backyard garden” or “right off of the family farm”. But is it really freshly picked tomatoes right out of Grandma Mae’s garden or chicken breast from a local farm? If the food purchased is from Whole Foods or the organic section at Walmart, then that probably is not the case. Large organic farms are what usually supply Whole Foods and other larger chain stores that have organics. They are not what people initially think of when imagining the typical organic farm. They usually think of a small plot of land with an old farmhouse, chicken coops, a red barn, and a large pasture of grass. Even though there are still organic farms like that,

A community garden helps the people involved connect on so many levels. Food is an item that can be connected to almost anything imaginable. This non profit garden allows members of the community to work together and to watch their efforts succeed as the garden prospers. The idea of the community garden is phenomenal. The main focus of the garden is for the volunteers to be able to give back and to share their connections as well as the beautiful produce that results from their efforts.

Community garden is not just a place to grow veggies .It is also a good place for enjoyable healthy outdoor exercise and for connecting with neighbours, recreation with family members, safe for pets and kids (Jackson, 2007). The first community garden was initiated in 1970s in Nunawadding which is one of the suburb in melbourne city (Grayson, 2000)

operations to heavily processed foods are making their way onto store shelves and passing off as USDA organic. The regulations that are in place are keeping small farmers out of the loop. The price to register as organic with the USDA is too much for small farmers to afford. The low prices offered by corporations are out competing the small farmers. In addition to this, many foods that are pre-frozen, packaged, and full of dozens of ingredients are labeled organic. And if this was not enough, an enormous quantity of organic foods is being shipped to the United States from overseas. These shipped foods come with very low prices that the local farmer cannot match. The social justice issue is the suppression of the true organic movement; the small

Food insecurities have a huge factor in a person’s health and well-being. It can act as a barrier to optimal levels of health. Food insecurities are present in the United States due to the unequal access that is present in the country. Whether there is a lack of healthy food that is accessible to that community or the healthy food that is available is not affordable. Many of the foods that are beneficial for people are not always the most affordable. It can turn into a vicious cycle of wanting to provide the healthiest food possible for the household, which can lead to spending more money, and can ultimately result in the inability to provide any type of healthy foods for the household. As a result, the existence of food insecurities leads

Since 2006, the demand and market for organic food and drinks has been increasing exponentially. The demand for these organic products is growing much faster than the supply. Consumers are more interested in where their food is coming from and how it was made. “The latest data shows organic sales in Canada have tripled since 2006 to 3.7 billion dollars a year.” (Global News). There are not enough farms in Canada that produce and supply organic products to meet the high demand. It takes approximately three years for an average farm to convert to an organic farm. However, the whole farm does not have to be organic, a portion of the farm can be converted to organic while the rest operates the way it was previously. The demand curve has shifted

They also allow families and individuals without land the opportunity to plant food and provide a place for gardeners to share what they know and how they make the gardens successful. Some test have shown that people in community garden clubs and their children eat

2c. Gardeners perceived community gardens to provide numerous health benefits such as improved nutrition, access to food, physical activity, and mental health. Community gardens were also seen to promote social health and community cohesion. (Wakefield, Yeudall, Taron, Reynolds, & Skinner,

According to the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform website, "Sustainable agriculture is the efficient production of safe, high quality agricultural products, in a way that protects and improves the natural environment, the social and economic conditions of farmers, their employees and local communities, and safeguards the health and welfare of all farmed species." That sounds pretty clinical, but most of these farms are small, family-owned enterprises that rely on the farm for income. These are great sources of all natural meats, dairy, and organic fruits and vegetables. There are a few of these of farms in Nebraska. For a list of them and what they offer visit the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society website at http://www.nebsusag.org/. Unfortunately urban sprawl is converting much of Nebraska’s available farmland into nonfarm uses. According to an article on Prairie Fire Newspaper’s website “Multifunctional Rural Landscapes: Impacts of Land-use Change in Nebraska” by Twyla M. Hansen and Charles A. Francis, the conversion of farmland near cities like Omaha to other uses inhibits the long-term ability to provide food to a growing population. Encouraging smart growth helps to limit sprawl by stopping leap-frog, low-density housing projects and preserve open land. (Palen, 248) Using up farmland for housing developments has sparked the relatively new idea of urban

Many community gardens have taught the youth about healthy eating as well as the importance of community and stewardship. They also offer a low-cost out of school activity which can help to keep them busy through work that is both educational and physically exerting. A specific example of such a garden is “Harlem Grown” located in uptown Manhattan, New York. Harlem Grown’s mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition. Harlem Grown also operates local urban farms which are intended to increase access to healthy food for local residents. The program also raises support for the reclamation of abandoned lots to create urban

This program could be partnered with the Denver Public Schools, Denver Urban Gardens, Learning Landscapes, and Slow Food Denver. Let’s start with the guidelines. School and educational based gardens provide spaces for experimental hands on education. This also allows for incorporating the full cycle of learning associated with healthy food; from growing, to nutrition, and then to cooking. The school gardening program would be designed to involve teachers and certain primary curriculums in subjects such as economics, social studies, and science. This in turn would create respect for diversity and also promote self-growth. The primary purpose would always be education. Having the school and the garden be a cohesive program that would be included in the day-to-day culture of school would promote sustainability with the administration, neighborhood volunteers, and parents who are all essential to the function of this plan.