Introduction

     Local food production is something which has had a bit of a comeback over the past decade, but there are some misconceptions as,to what it actually is. Local food production is not inherently synonymous with better. All it means is that the food has been grown relatively close to where it is sold. But there most certainly are benefits to it. I will be looking at the pros and cons of local food production, but also the challenges faced by those who wish to grow locally. For this I will be reading Joel Salatin's "Everything I Want to do is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front." I selected this book because it is written from the perspective of one who has experienced first hand the difficulties of growing locally in the US. 

Joel Salatin - Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front

352 pages

Published September, 2007

Summary: Drawing upon 40 years' experience as an ecological farmer and marketer, Joel Salatin explains with humor and passion why Americans do not have the freedom to choose the food they purchase and eat. From child labor regulations to food inspection, bureaucrats provide themselves sole discretion over what food is available in the local marketplace. Their system favors industrial, global corporate food systems and discourages community-based food commerce, resulting in homogenized selection, mediocre quality, and exposure to non-organic farming practices. Salatin's expert insight explains why local food is expensive and difficult to find and will illuminate for the reader a deeper understanding of the industrial food complex.

Editorial Review: Joel Salatin and his family own and operate Polyface Farm, arguably the nation's most famous farm since it was profiled in Michael Pollan'sNew York Times bestseller, The Omnivore's Dilemma and two subsequent documentaries, Food, Inc., and Fresh. An accomplished author and public speaker, Salatin has authored seven books. Recognition for his ecological and local-based farming advocacy includes an honorary doctorate, the Heinz Award, and many leadership awards.

Customer Review: Joel Salatin provides an honest, albiet frightening, view of what it is like trying to run a small business in America in 2007. As the owner of a small business for 27 years, as well as a sustainable ag farmer for the past 3 years, I can attest to everything Joel discusses in his book. Other reviews criticize his political leanings, his simplistic libertarianism, his religious beliefs, and his so called "rants", but none of these critics challenges the truth of what he reveals. Those in the front always take the first arrows. This book should scare the hell out of anyone who believes that government is the answer to all of our ills. For those of us who want clean food, those of us who want to produce a wholesome product for us, our families, and our neighbors, and most of all, those of us who just want a choice in our lives, this book is a testament to the need for a revolution against the food industry as well as our big bully government. I borrowed this book from my son, but am so appreciative of the information within, that I will send Joel a check today for the cost of the book.

     I believe that this book will be informative because it is written by someone with first hand experience of the goings-on in the food industry. This will hopefully highlight the problems with the food industry in the US, and demonstrates why local food production is less common. 

Joan P. Alcok - Food in the Ancient World (Food through History)

312 pages

Published in December, 2005

Summary: The ways of life of four great ancient civilizations— Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Celtic—are illuminated here through their foodways. As these cultures moved toward settled agriculture, a time of experimentation and learning began. Cities emerged, and with them consumer societies that needed to be supplied. Food Culture in the Ancient World draws on writings of classical authors such as Petronius, Galen, and Cato, as well as on archeological findings, to present intimate insight into ancient peoples. This volume will be indispensable as it complements classical history, cultural, and literature studies at the high school and college levels and will also inform the general reader.

Editorial Review: "In her well-prepared contribution to the growing study of food in historical context, the UK author of Food in Roman Britain (2004) treats food cultivation and consumption by the ancient Roman, Egyptian, Greek, and Celt civilizations. Based on evidence including skeletal remains (some mummies show signs of obesity), Alcock reviews their agricultural practices, food preparation, eating and drinking habits and establishments, and concepts of diet and health. The book includes a timeline, list of the classical authors cited, maps, and food-related illustrations."

Customer Review: College-level collections with strong holdings in either ancient history or culinary history will want to take a close look at Food In The Ancient World, part of Greenwood's 'Food Through History' series: it follows culinary explorations through four great ancient civilizations - Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Celtic - and uses the writings of classical ancient authors along with archaeological findings to follow the lives of ancient civilizations through agricultural and culinary habits. Discussions of available ingredients, different foods by civilization, food preparation and serving habits, and more reveals social, religious and culinary trends alike.

     I chose this book because I want to learn about ancient food production, and how it relates to modern times. Hopefully, this book will help me draw a direct correlation from ancient local food to that in today's world and highlight how food has changed over the years. 

Carole Topalain and Tracey Ryder - Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods

336 pages

Published April, 2010

Summary: A gorgeous full-color celebration of North America's local food heroes and traditions. Offers profiles of farmers, artisans, chefs, and organizations that are making a difference, and shares eighty seasonal recipes that highlight the very best local foods. 

Editorial Review: Discover the joys of local foods, from the experts at Edible Communities

A gorgeous full-color celebration of America's local food heroes and traditions, Edible is a must-have for anyone interested in the local food movement, environmental issues, or just a great meal. The book profiles local food artisans who are making a difference and provides 80 seasonal specialty recipes that incorporate the very best local foods from every region of the United States.

Edible Communities is a dynamic and growing network of regional food magazines in the United States and Canada that celebrates place-based foods with compelling stories about and recipes from farmers, fishermen, chefs, and food artisans. With its emphasis on sustainable agriculture, small family farmers, and amazing artisanal food products, Edible is an earth-friendly guide to great eating.

• Six in-depth portraits of America's distinct culinary regions are included, highlighting the unique cuisine and local foods of each
• The first section of the book features "Local Hero" essays that explore how people in our own neighborhoods are changing the way Americans eat
• The second section of the book includes recipes from each of the six regions, divided by seasonal availability of ingredients

Whether you want to experience the very best food from your region or be inspired by all the success stories in other regions, Edible is the ultimate guide to eating right for yourself, your community, and for the world.

Customer Review: I have been an Edible SF subscriber for a couple of years and wait impatiently for my next issue after reading EVERY PAGE of the magazine. This book is a wonderful compilation of inspirational stories of the mavericks of the agricultural social movement we desperately need. It is also a useful tool for locating local foods and filled with beautiful images celebrating the local foods and folks that produce them for us to enjoy. I like that the focus is on the "celebration of local foods" and not your typical cookbook. There are recipes (and wonderful ones at that), but the focus remains on the food itself. My only regret is that I will devour it too quickly and have to wait in hope that there will be an Edible II published soon.

     This book seems to provide an overall account of the local food movement, so I hope to learn what steps are already being taken to make it happen. I want to gain a better understanding of where the US is with local food production, and what Americans think of it. 

Carol Deppe - The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times

384 pages

Published October, 2010. 

Summary: In an era of erratic weather and instability, people's interest in growing their own food is skyrocketing. The Resilient Gardener

presents gardening techniques that stand up to challenges ranging from
health problems, financial problems, and special dietary needs to
serious disasters and climate change.

Scientist and expert
gardener Carol Deppe draws from emerging science in many fields to
develop the general principles of gardening for resilience. Gardeners
will learn through Deppe's detailed instructions on growing, storing,
and using the five crops central to self-reliance: potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and eggs. 

Editorial review: "Resilient" gardeners adapt to challenging health, dietary, weather, or financial situations to produce food that can sustain a family through adverse times. In this guide to becoming such a gardener, plant breeder Deppe (Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties) details her methods for safe and reliable food production-and covers more than strictly gardening-no matter your state of health or what climate you are in. She focuses on five crops with calorie, nutrient, and storage values: potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and, yes, duck eggs. In each chapter, Deppe describes her experiences with specific varieties of crops (with particular reference to her own climate in coastal Oregon), specific techniques for success, and unusual recipes suited to the varieties she grows (all are designed for those with gluten intolerance). VERDICT Deppe's idiosyncratic personality shines through her writing-this is as much a series of personal anecdotes by a lifelong expert gardener as a gardening book that will appeal to readers of a similar bent. Ideal for dedicated, independent gardeners who want to focus on food production despite dietary challenges, poor health, or other issues. 

Customer review: Incredibly this book does it! It goes into understanding what is going on and why you are doing things...

it's NOT a cookbook recipe but instead covers what it's all about and what makes it work (or not). Most garden books tell you to plant so deep, so far apart, and when. Deppe explores the "why" you plant at a particular depth (how you could alter it depending on your particular set of environmental constraints). Here you learn the intelligent approach to working within your food growing set-up.

Deppe expands the "how and why" depending on the particular planting style you utilized. Do you use a rototiller, a sm tractor, or hand tools?

The creme-de-la creme, is that she discusses growing methods, using the products, and appropriate storage techniques without it being boring and dry.

I'm so tired of the usual: take potatoes and store them. Hmm, how, and what makes a difference on getting a potato to store one month vrs 6 months.

How do I get them out of the ground without damaging them, what does light actually do to them, what can I do with potatoes that start to sprout, etc. are all questions that are covered in her topic discussion. What are the nutrient values, why would I grow this vrs another crop in terms of protein and calorie count. What about water needs: when, why, and how, instead of " water as needed".

Deppe, in essence (AND in a very readable format), brings her depth of knowledge and experience to the table, sharing it so that I have the informational tools to make intelligent decisions. I am able to fine-tune my food production, as needed, to my particular setting. That builds in the resilience that makes my process adaptable to changing conditions... some people would label it as "increased food security"!

This is one book that will fill a huge hole in my gardening library, productively speaking (pun intended)!

     From this book, I hope to learn the basic steps involved in local food production. That way, I will have evidence to demonstrate how easy it can be and how beneficial it is. 

Ben Newitt - The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food

242 pages. Published in 2012. 

Summary: Over the past few years, Hardwick, Vermont, a typical hardscrabble farming community of 3,000
residents, has jump-started its economy and redefined its self-image through a local, self-sustaining
food system unlike anything else in America. Even as the recent financial downturn threatens to cripple
small businesses and privately owned farms, a stunning number of food-based businesses have grown
in the region. The Town That Food Saved is rich with appealing, colorful characters, from the optimistic upstarts creating a new agricultural model to the long-established farmers wary of the rapid change in the region.

 

Hewitt, a journalist and Vermonter, delves deeply into the repercussions of this groundbreaking approach to growing food, both its astounding successes and potential limitations. The captivating story of an unassuming community and its extraordinary determination to build a vibrant local food system, The Town That Food Saved is grounded in ideas that will revolutionize the way we eat and, quite possibly, the way we live.

Editorial review: Through the last decade the Northern Vermont town of Hardwick, population 3200, gradually evolved into a nationally respected source of local food and began to reap benefits. Hewitt, an area resident and family farmer, previously wrote about the area as a potential example of localized agriculture and economics, especially for a population whose residents' median income was below state average. But curiosity and healthy skepticism, along with his own investment, spurred him to this deeper investigation into the local personalities (and characters) driving the movement, and to observe, participate and reflect upon such odiferous activities as pig slaughtering. The resulting blend of analysis and reflection highlights the possibilities and perils of what Hewitt argues will impact the agricultural and economic future for better or worse. (Apr.) 

Customer review: I admit, before I read this book I was already well versed in the critical reasons why this country needs to change how we grow, deliver, eat, and engage in the food system (if you don't know already, read the book and find out.) So Hewitt didn't need to convince me, and he isn't really setting out to convince you either. If you think broccoli grows at the supermarket and you are content to think that, this book isn't for you. But if you suspect something is wrong with the whole system where food grown under corporate foot is shipped thousands of miles to feed your family, but you can't really envision another workable system or you can't imagine a workable transition from one system to another--well then, this book is for you.

     I selected this book for this project because it is a perfect example of the benefits of local food production and seems to provide a basic understanding of the subject matter. But it also provides a look at the problems with American agriculture, and how precisely increased local food production would solve them.