Iola farmer Debbie Bearden is at a Salina symposium today for local food and farm councils.
Bearden says councils succeed by channeling peoples passions into community projects. The incentive to form a council comes from residents themselves recognizing that they can have a positive effect.
Facilitating these activities is the Kansas Alliance for Wellness a project of the Midwest Affiliate of the American Heart Association.
Allen Countys Council, Growing Rural Opportunities Works, features members from all nine communities who represent every food-related sector including eaters. There are several farmers, a medical doctor, a restaurant manager, a small grocer, a hospital dietician, a school nutritionist, a food bank manager, local Extension staff, a college student and a high school freshman.
GROW works on multiple fronts. This spring, 20 vendors are selling products at the farmers market which has expanded from one venue to three on different days. A mobile market is being planned. Menus at the countys half-dozen local restaurants now include nutritional information. The Allen County Regional Hospital plans to make healthy options available in its vending machines.
Meanwhile, 110 residents have each bought $100 ownership shares in a retail food co-op. The Marmaton Markets start-up costs will exceed $500,000. Area community colleges and high schools are receptive to creating a program to teach students how to grow vegetables.
Bearden says the federal farm bill now in the work could help communities figure out how to grow food economies. Shes explained to staff of U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee chair Pat Roberts how federal policy can impact nutrition: We have to be able to increase the amount of locally produced specialty crops.
Local food is energizing the community-building work of grassroots councils. It also spells opportunity for commodity farmers and ranchers looking to sustain the family business.
Farmers are farming all the land they can, she explains. And theyre running all the cattle they can. But most realize they still need to do something different to make room for the next generation. The biggest pop will come from a two-acre patch of lettuce or anything else to supply the farm-to-table market.
