This year seems as good as any to be the year of local food; conditions are ripe for this expectation: local is the new organic in the media, people are realizing the importance of supporting their community growers, and we’re becoming increasingly conscience of the need to modify our eating habits.  Local can be a big part of the health of our ecosystem — it has been interesting watching British chef and advocate of local, organic, and healthy Jamie Oliver’s struggles on his TV program Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution; click here if you’d like to sign his food revolution petition.  The community he picked was the least healthy in America, and it was startling to see how fat people were; I am not sure if this was staged in some fashion for TV, or the reality of the community.  That being said these people in general were good people trying to better themselves, and in this economy that is admirable.

The difficulty we face in the local movement — is compassion; let me say that again, we, the people espouse, champion, and shout for local often lack compassion for people.  It is easy to laugh at someone who is less fortunate, and wonder why they can’t figure out that chicken nuggets are often bad for you.  Knowledge is power, and often we forget that people are less fortunate — no one wants to live shorter, be fat, or ridiculed for their choices.  I don’t think that Jamie did that, but we have to remember — every small action towards the goal helps.  Ignorance is the enemy not people or companies.

Its easy to take potshots at Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, etc. for not doing enough.   In reality they are part of our economic and social ecosystem we should applaud any and all efforts they make towards sustainability, eating local, and providing healthy and nutritious food at affordable prices.  Local Dirt is a partner to anyone and everyone who wants to make local, nutritious, and wholesome food available to anyone who wants it.  We’re here to listen to our partners, learn, and hopefully be a better partner.  A lot of exciting new features are coming out in the coming months.  In the meantime the Local Dirt message has been picked up in the press.

Reynolds Journalism Institute photo by Karen Stockman

Local Dirt’s founder Heather Hilleren was featured as the lunch speaker at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, and was selected as the most innovative idea at the conference.  Local Dirt will also be featured in the April issue of Inc. Magazine.  Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter, and that we can all remember to help those less fortunate, and support those who are trying to make a difference.

I was born and raised on the south side of Madison. My grandmother always had gardens, and I grew up spending time with my family planting, weeding, and harvesting produce. After I served in the Vietnam War, I developed food allergies. I only trusted myself to grow and prepare my food!

Describe Half the 40 Acres Farm.

In 1982, I decided to become an organic farmer. I leased 20 acres of land off of Fish Hatchery Road in order to be able to help provide healthy produce to people in low-income areas. I grow a variety of produce free from nonorganic pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides.

How did you become involved in farmer’s markets?

For the first ten years, our farm participated in the downtown farmer’s market. Then in 2002, I became a vendor at the South Madison Farmer’s Market and began managing it the next year. We now have five markets at four locations, including the Labor Temple, Villagers Mall, Rimrock Road, and Gilbert Road. I’m committed to serving diverse neighborhoods, which can often be food deserts. These people need to have access to safe, affordable food just like everyone else. Many of them grew up with their parents and grandparents having gardens, and they know the taste of real food.

Describe your partnership with Growing Power, founded by Will Allen in Milwaukee to promote urban agriculture.

We have the Market Basket Program, a CSA-style food distribution program that features a weekly delivery of ten to fifteen various vegetables from our Rainbow Farmer’s Cooperative. In cooperation with Growing Power and the Center for Resilient Cities, we’re trying to turn the former Badger School into a green charter school. Our vision includes having it run on solar and wind power, establishing green houses, focusing on agriculture, and even having an onsite Boys and Girls Club.

How else are you involved in the Madison community?

I’m really committed to community education. For instance, on July 2-3, 2010, I’ll be offering a workshop on aquaproducts and greenhouses. I also established the Program for Entrepreneurial Agricultural Training (PEAT) as a way to teach today’s youth how to grow and market healthy food. Not only does PEAT show kids the importance of eating fresh produce and whole foods, but it gives them a chance to run their own business and take pride in their work. Kathleen Falk has endorsed this program, too. It’s incredible to see their enthusiasm – these kids really blossom through PEAT.

How has Local Dirt helped you?

I want to support Local Dirt – it’s a great resource for farmers and customers. I hope to use it more for the farmer’s markets and to get word out about the Rainbow Cooperative and the workshops.

Two weeks after a devastating earthquake, Haiti is once again facing a food crisis. During the 2008 hurricane season, 70 percent of the country’s agricultural land was flooded and most of its roads and bridges were destroyed. Not only did Haitians lose most of their corn, bean, and banana harvest, but the lack of infrastructure resulted in pockets of severe food shortages. Over 800 people were killed and 3.3 million needed emergency food support.

Before natural disaster struck the country again this month, Haiti’s food supply was already in a precarious state. The Food and Agriculture Organization had declared the country the most malnourished and poverty-stricken country in the western hemisphere. To complicate matters, Haiti relies heavily on imported food. According to the World Food Programme, 48 percent of national consumed food is imported, 47 percent is produced locally, and food assistance meets the remaining 5 percent of the country’s needs. The earthquake severely damaged ports, roads, and other infrastructure that are critical to distributing food throughout the island.

Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive notes three key problems with food distribution. First, the spontaneity of the aid resulted in cargo planes delivering content that needed to be identified and labeled. Next, officials struggled to unload and store aid. And finally, the shortages of available trucks and sufficient gasoline – coupled with damaged infrastructure – have further hampered distribution efforts.

If food cannot reach Port-au-Prince, will individuals then leave the city in a desperate attempt to survive? An article in Food Safety News warns, “More than one million Haitians may run away from the Port-au-Prince section for the countryside in search of food and clean water, which could further strain struggling farms.” But even in other areas of Haiti where earthquake damage was less severe, how can imported food reach inhabitants?

While these questions are asked in the aftermath of the earthquake, they allude to the fact that Haiti’s insufficient infrastructure and emphasis on imported food has left the country in a perpetually precarious state. To solve this, aid agencies and the government need to do more than repair roads or distribute seeds. They need to create a comprehensive system of drainage canals to prevent future flooding, double the allocated amount in the country’s budget for food production, and change the long-standing practice of exporting textiles in exchange for importing food.

The state is now in the middle of its December-through-March wet season. National Public Radio recently reported that California’s first snow survey of the winter showed the Sierra snowpack below normal. Sue Sims, the water department’s chief deputy director, said this may mean that California could face a fourth consecutive year of drought. Last month, California officials announced they expected to release a record-low amount of water to 25 million California residents if this happens — just 5 percent of what has been requested by contractors and farmers.

A year ago, Jim Beck, Kern County Water Agency general manager, told the Western Farm Press that the state was at a turning point. He said, “I think we are currently enduring the worst crisis that water users have ever faced and how we face this crisis over the next two to three years will not only shape agriculture but the whole state’s economy.”

For California farmers, this crisis has pushed them to make some hard decisions. NPR shares the story of Ty and Janet Lompa of California’s Central Valley. Last year, they were forced to cut down 110 acres of walnut orchards, which amounts to approximately 10,000 trees and a third of their entire acreage. “It takes 30 years to get ‘em here,” Janet Lompa noted, “and about a minute and a half to knock ‘em down.”

The Wall Street Journal highlights the story of Harris Farms near Coalinga, California. Last year, they were forced to sideline 9,000 of 11,000 acres that they used to plant with tomatoes, onions, broccoli and other vegetables. “You feel like a general in a battle,” states John Harris, chairman and chief executive of the business. “You’re in constant retreat.” After already reducing production for two years, what will happen to Harris Farms in 2010? Facing another year of drought, how can small farms and big farms alike support the state’s $20 billion-a-year agriculture industry?

It’s a complex question that doesn’t beget a simple answer. While some may push to build more dams, that doesn’t add to the water supply, it just redistributes it. Although California’s Governor has previously declared a state of emergency and enforced water rationing, farmers are still not getting enough water to support their crops. But maybe we’re not asking the right questions.

Robert Glennon notes in the Huffington Post, “In America we traditionally solve water shortages though engineering fixes: dams, canals, diversions, and wells. Seldom do we turn inward and ask whether conservation, reuse, or reallocation would provide easier, cheaper, more environmentally friendly solutions to current shortages.” He suggests that the current crisis should prompt Californians – and all Americans – to examine how, when, and why they use water. But will solutions come soon enough for California farmers?