{"id":3273,"date":"2008-08-06T12:04:25","date_gmt":"2008-08-06T18:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=3273"},"modified":"2008-08-06T12:04:25","modified_gmt":"2008-08-06T18:04:25","slug":"a-true-campaign-for-change-five-tips-to-stir-up-the-local-foods-movement-in-your-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/a-true-campaign-for-change-five-tips-to-stir-up-the-local-foods-movement-in-your-community\/","title":{"rendered":"A True Campaign for Change: Five Tips to Stir Up the Local Foods Movement in Your Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As Obama and McCain toss big picture, poetic, platitudes for change \u2013 arguably aiming to generate an election win versus the authentic revolution we need \u2013 remember we can all instigate lasting change in our own community beyond the voting booth by organizing as advocates for local food.<\/p>\n

Consider Patty Cantrell your local foods campaign advisor. No hidden lobbying agenda or smoke and mirror political agenda, Cantrell wears her passion for growing healthy, economically vibrant communities through strengthening local food channels on an open sleeve. \u201cFood is one of the most powerful ways to push the building of a healthy, local economy,\u201d explains Cantrell, Program Director of the Michigan Land Use Institute<\/a> and a Food and Society Policy Fellow<\/a>. \u201cBut this requires a significant shift in what economic developers and planners traditionally chase and prioritize, such as smokestack industries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Communities with a healthy local food base will form the next generation of desirably, sought after places to live, argues Cantrell. \u201cIncreasing numbers of people today, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, prioritize where they want to live first and foremost, not just where they can get a job,\u201d explains Cantrell. \u201cA healthy local food community proves to be an attractive, authentic appeal for moving to a certain area. With increasing numbers of retired Baby Boomers resulting in less people in the workforce, communities will start competing to attract residents and those with a vibrant local food economy, from farmers\u2019 markets to restaurants showcasing area fare, will have a marketable advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cantrell believes we stand at a hopeful crossroad. \u201cI see this economic shift in our near future from products to relationships where people consciously prioritize where and how something is grown or manufactured,\u201d Cantrell predicts. \u201cHaving a strong network of local producers gives authentic meaning to a community, and that is where the true value lies.\u201d In the process of building local food assets and attractiveness, communities can grow green jobs in food and farm production and marketing, too.<\/p>\n

Take your own food activism up a notch with these starter tips to grow your community\u2019s local food roots:<\/p>\n

1. Do Your Homework<\/strong>
\nResearch and collect examples of what\u2019s working in other communities and see what might apply to your community. Woodbury, Iowa<\/a> provides an inspiring example of a small Midwest community coming together to change their food system. The Michigan Land Institute<\/a> and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies<\/a> (BALLE) provide additional strong case studies and other resources.
\n
\n2. Connect with Community Cash<\/strong>
\nCantrell recommends seeking out community groups whose mission is to promote economic vitality, such as the chamber of commerce or county economic development association. \u201cYou will find allies out there, but sometimes it does require bringing new information to the table,\u201d advises Cantrell. \u201cEconomic developers historically have viewed farms and agriculture as part of the USDA, not as small businesses. That perspective needs to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Organize a Task Force<\/strong>
\nGet together your local friends and allies and establish a \u201ctask force\u201d to examine these local food issues. Ideally this would be under the chamber of commerce or other community organization to give legitimacy and authority to your mission.<\/p>\n

4. Rethink Land Use<\/strong>
\nSimilar to economic developers, land use policies need to be reevaluated to better support local foods. \u201cAgriculture has been defined from a zoning perspective as strictly producing commodity crops, which often works to the detriment of small-scale, on-farm start-ups such as agritourism enterprises,” adds Cantrell. “Working with your planning and zoning officials to allow for more farm business activity, such as artisan cheese making or canning classes, is a great way to start” And here’s a fine new resource<\/a> from the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute on how communities can encourage healthy food systems through zoning improvements<\/p>\n

5. Continue Educational Outreach<\/strong>
\n\u201cKeep an open mind and keep connected with a variety of groups and organizations in your community, from University Extension to small business educators,\u201d Cantrell comments. \u201cThe positive spirit and intent of the local foods movement has the potential to bring diverse segments of the community together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related Posts on the Green Options Network<\/strong>
\nNo Gardening Required: Five Tips to be a Local Foods Forager<\/a>
\nPopeye Had it Wrong: Local, Fresh Spinach Packs the Authentic Nutritional Punch<\/a>
\nHail to the Chief Gardener: Sow Seeds of Climate Change at the White House<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Obama and McCain toss big picture, poetic, platitudes for change \u2013 arguably aiming to generate an election win versus the authentic revolution we need \u2013 remember we can all [ … ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nA True Campaign for Change: Five Tips to Stir Up the Local Foods Movement in Your Community • Sustainablog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/a-true-campaign-for-change-five-tips-to-stir-up-the-local-foods-movement-in-your-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A True Campaign for Change: Five Tips to 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