Earth Day has always been about the environment and raising environmental awareness. With the farmers’ market opening in a couple of days, it is a good chance to learn more about one of the most important environmental processes known to man. Without this, we would still be hunter/gatherers. We owe a lot to agriculture!
What do you really know about your “food system”, or in simpler terms, “Where does your food originate?” As a long-time follower of Michael Pollan, I’ve learned a lot about things we can do to make our food supply more sustainable, and the farmers’ market is a great start. Our market (yes, our small market that hangs out on Saturdays on Main Street) is a producer-only market. This means, you aren’t going to be buying tomatoes from Bradley County, Arkansas or peaches from Georgia. This is kind of a big deal! Not all farmers’ markets are producer-only, and the fact that we have one right on Main is a great testament to support of local agriculture. Farmers make that possible, but so do customers and volunteers. Your knowledge and desire to purchase local goods isn’t just good for the local economy: it’s GREAT for the local economy!
It’s also…hmmm, what’s the word?…
Healthy!
So go ahead. Celebrate Earth Day. Below are some resources you might find interesting related to food, the environment, and sustainability. We’ll see you on Saturday at the farmers’ market.
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