Local food sales now a $4.8-billion-a-year industry! Support Local Farms Act

Commentary: Local farmers need national support

Michael W. Hamm and Jeffrey O'Hara

After a decent-paying job, what could be more important than all 3.8 million Michigan families getting enough healthy food every day?
Unfortunately, our federal government helps make high-calorie, processed foods cheaper while farmers who grow fruits and vegetables for local sale here and across the nation have to work with little or no support.
Crazy? Yes. But fixable.
Congress is currently debating legislation that would support farmers who grow healthy foods for local markets and expand consumer access to these markets.
Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, as chair of the Senate Agricultural Committee, is in a key position to stand up for these programs.
Local food outlets — neighborhood farmers markets, roadside stands and community supported agriculture networks — provide rural and urban residents substantial economic and health benefits. In addition, many of these farmers today are selling to schools, restaurants and grocery stores.
The more than 100,000 farms now selling food directly to consumers nationwide generate thousands of jobs, promote community development, increase access to health-promoting foods while money keeps circulating locally. These farmers are examples of entrepreneurship — exactly what we need in a time of economic instability.
This innovative spirit is particularly alive in Michigan. The number of farmers markets jumped from 90 in 2001 to more than 300 this year. During that same time, the number of farmers markets across the country increased from fewer than 3,000 to more than 7,000. Local food sales across the country now amount to a $4.8-billion-a-year industry.
With a modest increase in federal support, local and regional food systems — which now receive less than 1 percent of U.S. Department of Agriculture largesse — would have a much better chance to blossom.
About every five years Congress spends months debating the finer points of the Food and Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation that determines, among other things, how to subsidize American food production over the next five-year period.
Separately, a stand-alone bill called the "Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act" was recently introduced in the House and Senate.
This legislation would provide support for local food markets; expand farmer access to their local markets; enable more low-income people to redeem nutrition assistance benefits at local markets; ensure that smaller, local farmers have the same access to insurance and credit as the big farms; and it would stimulate research on local food systems.
Authors of this bill would like it used as a template for mandatory local food programs in the Farm Bill.
The clock is ticking. We believe Sen. Stabenow will act in the best interest of her constituents — the farmers and the consumers of Michigan.
As a champion of local foods, she can fight for the inclusion of local food programs, as outlined by the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act, in the 2012 Food and Farm Bill.
Michael W. Hamm is the C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University. Jeffrey O’Hara is an agricultural economist in the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Email comments to letters@detnews.com.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111122/OPINION01/111220327/Commentary--Local-farmers-need-national-support#ixzz1eYGPWWaa