It's obvious (and wonderful) that people are committed to buying more products directly from their local farmers. Purchasing half a cow or pig at a time is a boon for producers, even better if you arrange (and pay for) the sale at the beginning of the animal-raising cycle. Dedicating 20, 30 even 50% of your grocery basket food choices to local food first goes a long way to keeping family farms alive, too. Each dollar we spend with our local farmer continues to circulate through our local businesses 3-7 more times. It's called the Multiplier Effect, and farming is by far the best way of building strong local economies.
But individuals can only do so much.
What we need are pro-agriculture people in key policy-making positions. For starters, we need "Voices for Agriculture" involved with local government and regional agencies that are making decisions about food purchasing, business development and public policy.
Take a look at this list below. If you support the concepts of
- local food,
- vibrant communities,
- strong regional economies,
- common-sense food safety and
- social justice issues relating to access to clean water and fresh food,
Getting Involved to Move Agriculture Forward in Delaware County starts with:
- Your
- town council
- town planning board
- school board
- Delaware County
- Board of Supervisors
- Farmland Protection
- Industrial Development Association
- Economic Development
- Planning Department
- Nonprofit agencies and agricultural advocates like
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