Let's Eat Local

Why is it that in a state like Oregon that has its own personal fertile crescent of agriculture in the Willamette Valley that we in Bend are stuck shelling out money in our local and chain markets to buy produce from all over the country, and yes, all over the world. I walked into Safeway yesterday and found asparagus from Peru. Peru! Granted, Safeway isn’t exactly your mom and pop grocer, but even Nature’s has only a tiny selection, or a few selections, of locally grown organic produce come winter, like potatoes, some salad greens and garlic. I guess the winter season makes things difficult. But does it have to?

I drove over the pass twice this past week in my Honda Civic to wonderful organically grown produce less than 100 miles away in the Willamette Valley. While in the Valley, I talked with a small organic dairy farmer and numerous organic vegetable producers who are not only willing but are excited to escape the large scale wholesaler known as Organically Grown Company and deal more directly with the consumers – namely, you and me. It’s for this reason that I believe a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program held here in Bend year-round is not only exciting, healthy and supportive of a local Oregon economy, but entirely practical. Start spreadin’ the news and write to bendcsa@gmail.com to express interest and to garner support and more information for a year-round Bend CSA.

This article appears in Dec 10-16, 2009.

MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN

You are absolutely right Andrew. I am a cook hee in bend. I just moved from portland 6 months ago. Up there i worked for a restaurant that 99 pecent of our produce came from people we know. The owner always said he didn’t want it if he didn’t know who planted it. I loved seeing the seasons change and the produce change with it. Letuces geting crispy and hearty when the temps dropped, floweing herbs in spring and fall, peaches, oh the peaches in summer. The list goes on. There is No, NO, reason we have to eat crappy SYSCO and FSA food. i would bet that most of the restaurants in town are bullied by these big purveyors. It is crap. We need to band togeather at a comunity, Homes and Restaurants. Stand up to and let go of these big crap food markets. Lets suport our local growers. Lets support our local economy. Lets support our health. Yeah we won’t be able to get asperigus and tomatoes all year. Let the farmer guide you through the seasons and let us guide the farmer to our communities of the east bench.

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1 Comment

Justin Brown says:

December 10, 2009 at 5:01 pm

You are absolutely right Andrew. I am a cook hee in bend. I just moved from portland 6 months ago. Up there i worked for a restaurant that 99 pecent of our produce came from people we know. The owner always said he didn’t want it if he didn’t know who planted it. I loved seeing the seasons change and the produce change with it. Letuces geting crispy and hearty when the temps dropped, floweing herbs in spring and fall, peaches, oh the peaches in summer. The list goes on. There is No, NO, reason we have to eat crappy SYSCO and FSA food. i would bet that most of the restaurants in town are bullied by these big purveyors. It is crap. We need to band togeather at a comunity, Homes and Restaurants. Stand up to and let go of these big crap food markets. Lets suport our local growers. Lets support our local economy. Lets support our health. Yeah we won’t be able to get asperigus and tomatoes all year. Let the farmer guide you through the seasons and let us guide the farmer to our communities of the east bench.