The air is a little chillier. We’re shelving summer clothes and taking out scarves, sweaters, and office supplies. My email is blowing up.
Fall is here. School has started. And already there is a lot going on in the Lehigh Valley.
In my inbox of parking notifications and meeting requests, I was happy to receive an email fromMara Schechter. Mara, a recent college grad, contacted me in hope that I could help spread the word at Moravian about a campaign she’s working on for Food & Water Watch.
Curious, I checked them out and found I already knew the group, or at least their work. They helped get Starbucks to stop using milk from cows treated with artificial growth hormones and exposed environmental, health, and equity issues in the water bottle industry.
This time, Food & Water Watch is tackling inequality in the food industry. And Mara is looking to help.
Her Bethlehem campaign will empower people to “make our food system work better for small farmers and our communities, and give consumers access to safer, more sustainable food.”
The first step? Urging the Senate to pass Fair Farm Rules, designed to help smaller farmers compete with and gain protection from big industry. Learn more about the bill at Change.org.
goodies from the Fair Farm Bill Kickoff meeting Wednesday night
The food industry certainly has its issues. “Right now, our country’s food system is broken,” Mara said. A few large corporations have control of the system, “risking public health, driving out small and mid-sized farmers, and hurting the environment.”
Documentaries like Food Inc. have really put the icing on the questionably-made cake. They show that our food is shipped, processed, injected, and man-handled more than we could imagine. Often, food like produce is selected less for its taste and more for its ability to withstand this abuse.
People like Mara and the folks at Food & Water Watch see a smart solution. Why not buy our food from people we know?
Local farmers will put our money more directly back into the community. We'll save tons of CO2, emitted when trucking our food around, and prevent the countless insults to nature that occur during food processing.
That’s the idea behind Buy Fresh, Buy Local. PA’s southeast chapters identifies 91 farmers markets (the closest is just by Lehigh), 248 farms, and 119 restaurants where consumers can find locally sourced food like,
- heirloom tomatoes
- farmstead cheeses
- varietal wines
- pasture-raised lamb
- crisp apples
These are some of the regional foods Buy Fresh, Buy Local celebrates. Check out the site and you’ll find not only what’s in season, but also yummy recipes from other locals.
Here's the Great Lehigh Valley's chapter: http://www.buylocalgreaterlehighvalley.org/
Maybe you got to take a break from stuffing your face with fresh blueberries and eggplant, and check out Mara’s kick off meeting. It was held Wednesday, Sept. 21, in the Bethlehem Public Library.
Missed it? No worries!
To learn more or get involved contact Mara Schechter at mschechter@fwwlocal.org.
Invite friends to the group by adding the event on Facebook.
Will Mara be hosting more meetings?
ReplyDeleteHow big of an uphill battle is this?
yes! Mara actually just came to ECO's meeting yesterday and trained us to recruit people for "Call-in Day." We're hoping to flood Senator Casey's office with phone calls in support of the bill.
ReplyDeleteIt is an uphill battle, but the movement for small farm rights has already made headway. The bill was already passed. But now its up for renewal and big corporations are throwing their money at attacking it.
I love this post! So informative. Be careful with flooding offices with calls - I worked in a Congressional office this summer and guess who received ALL OF THE CALLS...this girl.
ReplyDeleteMore effectively - every single Congressman/Senator has a scheduler and a Environmental Legislative Assistant - utilize them, instead :)
Thanks Kasara! Good advice :)
ReplyDelete