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 Today's shoppers are demanding a closer relationship with their farmer
and their food. By reaping the benefits of locally grown, all-natural
and organic products, health-conscience people are helping to swing the
pendulum back to a simpler, natural way to harvest a meal.
When consumers purchase a Granny Smith apple or a head of lettuce from
the local supermarket, many do not know how far the food has traveled to
get to the store and when it was picked. Most people also do not know
what pesticides and fertilizers were used to grow the product or if it
was even grown in the United States. Consumers often don't know whether
it was picked under-ripe so it would survive a long, refrigerated
journey to the neighborhood store and whether it was chemically enhanced
to induce ripening once it arrived.
Frequently, the produce found in a typical supermarket travels more
miles to get to your plate than you will travel getting to work in a
month - sometimes as much as 1,500 miles from farm to store. Some of
this, of course, can be blamed on shoppers who demand strawberries in
December and corn-on-the-cob in March, forcing merchants to import
produce from the West Coast or even outside the United States. But,
while Americans are renowned for their quirky and fickle eating habits,
one of the fastest growing trends in recent years has been the move
toward natural, healthy and organic foods that are grown pesticide-free,
without additives and fertilizers, and close enough to home to have been
picked within hours or days of purchase. It is such a fast-growing
sector of the retail food and beverage market that the Organic Trade
Association reported nationwide sales of organic foods in 2006 totaled
nearly $17 billion, 22 percent higher than in 2005.
All the fuss over organic is due in large part to our desire to eat food
that is chemical-free, wholesome and grown using methods that are in
harmony with nature by farmers who use renewable resources to conserve
soil and water and preserve the environment. The produce at a typical
supermarket may look good, but chances are that it is tired, chemically
enhanced or loaded with pesticide residue. Organic produce, on the other
hand, especially locally grown, is fresher. Without the need for
long-haul shipping, preservatives, packaging and fumigation, locally
grown produce provides the very best of nature's harvest and organic
enthusiasts have come to realize that fresh foods are safer, better for
you and often better tasting.
Jan Ashworth, of Huntingtown in Calvert County, trusts the value of
organic and locally grown foods. In fact, she has eaten organic foods
since she was a child.
"My parents always had a huge vegetable garden and took pride in never
using pesticides, only adding organic composts to the soil," she said.
"From a very young age, I was exposed to the benefits of eating organic
foods and living a sustainable life. My husband and I continue to grow
our own organic foods in an intensive, raised-bed garden and, just like
my Mom, we have a huge compost pile."
Ashworth appreciates the benefits of organic farming and the promise
that foods grown by careful farmers contain little to no residual
pesticides, no antibiotics, and no hormones, and have more beneficial
nutrients compared to conventional products. Even though organic goods
sometimes cost more, she believes they are worth the premium.
Mike Klein and his family run Good Fortune Farm in Brandywine where they
sell herbs, vegetables, strawberries, and certified organic eggs and
chickens. He, too, has noticed the increased demand for organics in
Southern Maryland and the Washington, D.C., area.
"People today are really concerned about their health and longevity and
farming that has a low impact on our environment," Klein said. "They are
looking for a connection with their farmer, where there is an
accountability and a link to where their food comes from."
Klein grows a variety of vegetables and fruits that are hard to find in
chain supermarkets.
"I can grow more delicate and exotic varieties of produce because I
don't have to consider their stability for shipping and storing," he
said. "Often, if my customers want strawberries, I can pick them in the
morning and deliver them to a restaurant that afternoon - it's really
close-to-home food."
Klein also agrees that the organic food industry is on the rise. "We
definitely need more organic farmers," he said. "The demand is there for
ethical farmers and that demand is greater than the supply."
Organic options are finding their way into a surprising number of places
including hospitals, university cafeterias, public schools and even in
airline food, he said.
Ashworth admits that it sometimes takes special effort to find organic
products, especially outside the growing season, but said it is becoming
easier. Most local supermarkets and major chains now dedicate whole
sections to organic produce and also carry organic eggs, milk, meat,
pasta, soup, chips and sometimes even pet food.
She purchases eggs that are both organic and local at Bowen's Grocery in
Huntingtown and she notes that farmers' markets are an excellent place
to find just-picked produce.
"During the growing season, we get a lot of fruits and vegetables from
farm stands, as well as from our own backyard," she said. "While most of
the local produce may not be certified organic, at least it hasn't
traveled a thousand miles to reach our table and I feel good about
that."
Smaller neighborhood supermarkets in Southern Maryland often seek out
locally grown produce during the Southern Maryland growing season. A
manager at McKay's in Charlotte Hall said the store uses a variety of
methods to find the freshest local foods for their customers including
visiting the Loveville Produce Auction and making a direct connection
with area farmers.
Both Ashworth and Klein hope that the future of agriculture will shift
away from huge industrial farms and back to small, family farms growing
healthier foods and supporting a totally sustainable form of living.
"It seems like the focus is coming full circle," Klein said. "People
once bought their fruits and vegetables from a green grocer and their
meat from a butcher - merchants they knew and trusted. Then we went to
large supermarkets that provided everything in one stop. Now people want
to once again know their butcher, their farmer and their fish monger so
they can understand where their food comes from and feel good about it."
Here in Southern Maryland, we're lucky: there are many places to find
fresh, local and organic produce - good food that is good for you. So
the next time you shop for apples, snap beans, carrots or cucumbers and
you know where they came from, how they were grown and trust that the
farming methods used will provide a healthy environment for future
generations, take a moment to thank your local organic farmer.
Sales of organic food and local produce
Southern Maryland offers a number of places that sell organic foods and
local produce. Here are a few:
Bowen's Grocery, Huntingtown
Eggs, local produce in season
Country Nutrition, Waldorf
Natural, organic and specialty foods
Good Earth Natural Foods, Leonardtown
Natural, organic and specialty foods
McKay's Food & Drug, various locations
Organic and local produce in season; specialty organic foods section
Nick's of Clinton,
Waldorf/Prince Frederick
Local produce in season
Raley's Town & Country, Ridge
Organic and local produce in season
Roland's, Chesapeake Beach
Local produce in season
Woodburn's, Solomons
Organic and local produce in season; specialty organic foods section
In addition, most chain supermarkets now carry organic items. |
