Here's a Local Foods Podcast

Here's an interesting podcast on local foods that I just stumbled upon. It's out of Oregon - just click on "Are You Gonna Eat That?". It's 52 minutes long and there's a thread to follow with some discussion from listeners. http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/opb/posts/list/976609.page

Maybe now's the time for a little background on my interest in local foods and local farms. I've always shopped at farmers' markets and my parents used to go out to a local farm stand for sweet corn and other veggies when I was growing up. My grandfather had a farm and I can remember getting tomatoes from him. Of course, we had a garden in the backyard like a lot of folks in our neighborhood. In 2005, I had a great opportunity to take a position with Penn State Cooperative Extension as a "Community-Based Agricultural Development Educator". The local food movement was really taking hold nationwide. My work covered the 11 county Southwestern Pennsylvania region and there was a large demand for information on "value-added" agriculture ...... and farmers' markets, in particular. I got to interact and provide reference materials to many farmers' markets in the region. I also worked with other educators to provide more in-depth training & facilitation to several specific farmers' markets. The economic & community development angle kicked in when we received requests for assistance from Main Street managers. Main Street managers view farmers' markets as a component of a vibrant community and a way to bring people back downtown. They also see the benefit of providing access to fresh fruit & vegetables to a less mobile population in town. SO ...... that's how I got involved with local food and farmers' markets on a larger scale. I tell people that I became somewhat of a produce snob since I was constantly visiting and working with the markets. The fresh food was just great! I no longer work for PSCE, but the habit of swinging into farmers' markets & on-farm stands when I see them continues ...... you just never know what you'll find!

Anyway ---- I'll occasionally post other references, links, and research tidbits that I find as we blog on.