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The Local Grain Revolution
Plus: Kootenay kids get inspired by 'The Meatrix.'
The Local Grain Revolution I
For most Canadians wishing to adopt a more local diet, the overwhelming rise in demand in just the past year has left a large question mark hovering over the heads of many: where is all this local food so many are demanding?
The state of farming and food production in North America has clearly evolved into such a poor state of affairs, little infrastructure and incentive remain to respond to this current demand for local product. While fruits and vegetables may be the most easily accessible local foods at farmers' markets and select grocery stores, grains are not often referred to when speaking of local food. When we start to envision what plant-based foods we're still missing out on in sufficient local quantities, we can list off wheat, oats, barley, rye, spelt, flax, hemp, corn and leguminous plants such as beans and lentils.
On this exciting broadcast, we explore the creation of a project launched by two conservation groups wishing to experiment with the creation of a local grain market in the middle of the mountains of British Columbia. Matt Lowe of Nelson's West Kootenay EcoSociety and Brenda Bruns of the Creston branch of Wildsight have teamed up with a number of farmers, processors, bakers and eaters, to see if such an idea is indeed possible.
The project will see three Creston-area farmers commit to growing three types of grain in the coming 2008 season. Two-hundred member-shares will be issued to residents of Nelson and Creston, and come harvest time, those 200 members, will hopefully receive 100 lbs of whole grains. If requested, a miller in Creston and Nelson will be on hand to turn those grains into flour or flakes. This will ensure members are only using the freshest, tastiest and most nutritious product available.
Guests/voices
Matt Lowe, climate change campaigner, West Kootenay EcoSociety (Nelson, B.C.) -- The West Kootenay EcoSociety promotes ecologically and socially sound communities while protecting species and ecosystems in the Southern Columbia Mountains ecoregion. The organization hosted a highly successful regional climate change conference in 2007.
Drew Gailius, farmer, Full Circle Farm (Canyon, B.C.) -- Drew and Joanne Gailius are new farmers. They sell most of their product at the farmgate. In the past two years, they have successfully grown wheat and oats and are eager to find a local market to supply.
Other Voices: Keith Huscrof (Lister, B.C.), Brenda Bruns (Creston, B.C.), Jenny Truscott (Creston, B.C.), David Everest (Nelson, B.C.).
Deconstructing Dinner in Our Schools II
How do food and agricultural issues make their way into educational settings? On this episode of Deconstructing Dinner in Our Schools, we hear from 10-year-old Kodiak Morasky, who chose a very unique topic to present to his Grade 4 classmates in Nelson, B.C. Kodiak was introduced to the world of factory animal farms through the online animated series of short films known as The Meatrix. The film had a profound impact on Kodiak, and we listen in on his in-class presentation. Upon learning of the horrific stories coming out of North America's factory farms, we hear one child ask, "Can I sue the government?"
Guests/voices
Kodiak Morasky, student, Blewett Elementary School (Nelson, B.C.) -- Kodiak's 10 years of age shouldn't fool you. He is deeply concerned with the state of Canada's food supply. His concerns include factory animal farms, genetic engineering and chemical pesticides, among others. He is passionate about sharing this information with his friends and classmates.
Related Tyee stories:
- So, You Want to Be a Farmer?
Podcast: Who will help raise Canada's food? Why not you? - Food For Thought in Our Schools
Podcast: What are we feeding the kids? - With the Grain on the 100-Mile Diet
Stalking barley and wheat, some of it 9,000 years old.
![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
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6
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Canis Latrans
4 years ago
local food production...
I think this is a useful idea, very definitely-, even though I have seen these kind of localized efforts before, and watched many if not most of them fall to startup problems, typically not deep enough pockets, and the headstart jump on and support the corporate food system has over attempts by anyone else to move in a new, even more environmentally sustainable direction. But the most pressing need, which is why the politics of radical socio-economic and green revolution change really can't be avoided, is that for this "new farming" movement to be successful, it really needs that this problem of "the ruling system" be dealt with in tandem, at one and the same time. For until the problems that come with the capitalist model of development, i.e never ending growth in population and production, and the ruling class state's favouring of the corporatist "mass" agricultural, food production and distribuion system are dealt with, there is little room available within, or allowed by the so-called "free market" hierarchical system.
So, even having been involved in agriculture, off and on, for some significant years of my life, whilst I would not want to discourage this kind of "experimentation", having seen such before, I feel I can pretty accurately predict where this will lead for nearly everyone in it-, either back to the status quo agriculture system or failure. These are the greatest likelihoods, frankly. Though let it be said, even then, even allowing for some experience, I've been wrong before and could be here, for some minutia element that turns out to be important that I am failing to see. (Life is complex.:-)
I certainly do wish these folks well, with only the caveat warning, keep an eye to the manipulations and cyclical crises elements of "the status quo agricultural system" that can quickly suck all into its vortex and its propensity to swallow-up, absorb, or download catastrophy onto relatively small enterprises.
Good luck.
Fiat lux
4 years ago
Well, somebody has to do
Well, somebody has to do something as the powers are now in position for the total colonization and enslavement of humanity through the control of food.
People will either have to wake up and do something to help themselves, or submit to dictatorship and slavery.
Tremendous amounts of food can be grown on small areas. It only takes a bit of brains and work and resistance to forced urbanization.
The Chinese government is now planning to uproot and jam 100 million rural people into the most disgusting skyscraper cities, but this has been going on all over the world, in the interest of "efficiency", of course.
Gardens and other food producing areas are not "urban sprawl".
Ed Deak.
Canis Latrans
4 years ago
Quote:Well, somebody has to
People will either have to wake up and do something to help themselves, or submit to dictatorship and slavery.
Agree entirely, Deak.
And indeed. "Gardens and other food producing areas are NOT "urban sprawl".
Indeed, reducing urban population "density" and city folks at least growing and raising much of their own food, from gardens to raising chickens, pigeons, maybe even a pig for their own food production, would be the greatest blow against ruling class regimentation and dependency plans for cities, and their counter humanization, the independence of their residents, that I could think of.
Movements of city folks, especially their poor, need to strike out boldly and insistently in this direction. Which could even strike off in the direction of challenging "property management" control of housing and real estate, to the occupation of lots with their development, and provision of housing alternatives.
The need is to be able to feel empowered/emboldened, through organization and mass action, to stand up to ruling class "priority assumptions" and their "state".
Obama is right in at least one thing in the US, though he might balk himself at the concept stretched quite this far: There needs to emerge amongst the street and everyday populace, a CAN DO attitude and agenda.
ME2
4 years ago
The joys of vegetable gardening.
I can remember back to the times during WW2, Canis, when Victory Gardens were planted in most everyone's back - and front yards too - and even boulevards became potato patches.
But those were the days when memories of Depression days were still fresh in people's minds, when blemishes were still seen on fruits and vegetables, including store-bought, and before soil came to be viewed as best hidden by grass or pavement.
Could the modern housewife become a gardener like her grandmother before her? Could she find the TIME to do it? How many back yard lawns might be dug up to become vegetable gardens?
My guess is that times will have to get pretty tough indeed before we see such changes.
Rhea
4 years ago
Victory Gardens
"Gardens and other food producing areas are NOT "urban sprawl".
Most suburban properties could probably produce 80% of the food needs of the residents with no problem. Sprawl happens when they instead create vast tracts of "landscaped" lawn and slather it with herbicides.
Our property is 1/4 acre with a smaller rancher. I can produce most of our vegetable needs plus herbs and treats like raspberries and blueberries in 6 raised beds. I'm seriously considering ripping up more of the lawn to add more space for food gardening. If we could keep chickens in our neighbourhood, I'd have meat and eggs (right now I get free farm eggs from a friend). You can also grow tons of stuff in containers, including items like cucumbers and zucchini, which can be trellised to save space. We have 2 (soon to be 3) fig trees, and I want to put in apple and maybe cherry. During the war, this was not only common, it was expected. It was good sense to be as self-sufficient food-wise as possible.
Eliminating stupid restrictions on keeping small livestock like chickens and goats, encouraging food farming rather than sterile lawns and publicly encouraging the same kind of Victory Gardens seen in the war would go a long way to getting people to understand that food doesn't just appear at the supermarket.
BrianWhite
4 years ago
Food and fibre and drink too
I hope to start a hop plant this year. The lack of diversity in food in the modern system is absolutiely terrible. I live in victoria where we could grow great sugar beet, olives and figs. It would also be a superb climate for grain and apples and pears. (As in far better than the praries in terms of yield per hectare) I think people should pay special attention to growing edible landscapes and demanding them on new houses. I inherited 7 plum trees, a massive grape vine and a peach when I bought my house because it was really old.
Perhaps it should be law to plant food trees on new devellopments too.
Cheap oil to grow, sort and transport food will not last much longer and we must be prepared.