I've read recently, in one of the grants announcements that cross my email, about funding for the development of cooperatives: would a local foods cooperative be worth looking at? might be something also to interest NYS Ag & Markets, especially if we could link it with - for example - getting fresh produce to shut-ins, elderly and otherwise, nursing homes, day care providers; and with the 'think/do' project re raised garden beds that emerged at ST's September gathering - any interest in exploring possibilities? if so, I'll dig up the funding info
LEVEL GREEN - fostering sustainable community through collaborative initiatives in hospitality, education and the arts, in the 150 year-old democratic spirit of the Danish Folk School. 1519 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 339-9472 --- On Wed, 10/8/08, Katie Quinn-Jacobs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: Katie Quinn-Jacobs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [SustainableTompkins] Local, collaborative farming > To: "Sustainable Tompkins County listserv" > <[email protected]> > Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 5:07 PM > I think during times of transition like ours there is always > the danger > of slipping into the old paradigm for what appear to be > solutions. > Well-known patterns, like growth economics, however > won't work in the > end if systemic change is underway. Boutique food > production designed to > tap into the discretionary income of the upper tier to pull > a > municipality out of economic decline certainly falls into > this > category. Ultimately, it's a dead end since the > discretionary income is > dependent on the waning economic paradigm. Some - but not > all -of what's > happening in the VT town featured in this article seems to > fall into > that category of commerce. What I found interesting, > however, was the > example of collaboration between the vendors and farmers in > the piece. > > I still haven't encountered a well-tested, successful > economic paradigm > that isn't based on growth that can serve in the stead > of capitalism as > we know it. So it feels like our moorings are coming > undone without a > viable alternative to pursue. As we begin to develop local > markets, how > can we relocalize goods and services without an economic > model to guide > the exchanges? Is there one? Bartering? Co-operatives? > How do we > handle credit? Even in the land of Ithaca Hours economics > seems to be > the missing link. > > -- Katie Q-J > > > > Jon Bosak wrote: > > [Karl North:] > > > > | These initiatives are all good food for thought, but > we need to > > | bear in mind that Vermont is a special case. > > > > Yes, but so is Tompkins County. > > > > | In recent decades it has been transformed by the > invasion of > > | permanent residents from moneyed classes that > represent the upper > > | tier of the two tier US economy that has emerged in > these > > | decades. Without their money flowing through the > local economy, > > | and particularly the food economy, the kinds of > changes that this > > | article describes would be much more difficult. > > > > Granted. > > > > | I have farmer friends in Vermont who can do things > that are > > | unimaginable in most other places in the US. We can > take ideas > > | from what is happening in Vermont, but we should be > careful not to > > | be misled by how easy it is in Vermont to put those > ideas into > > | practice. > > > > If any place can do that, we probably can, if we want > to. > > > > I think the real problem is that the local stuff is > way more > > expensive than what you can get at Wal-Mart. Up till > now, that > > "upper tier of the US economy" has been able > to afford the > > difference, but recent hits to stock prices and > looming widespread > > unemployment will likely push most of those people > into buying the > > cheap factory-farm stuff along with everyone else. So > the > > question is whether a local farm cooperative of the > kind described > > in the article can hang on until the cost of fuel > finally levels > > the playing field by making Wal-Mart food more > expensive than > > locally produced food. > > > > Jon > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > For more information about sustainability in the > Tompkins County area, please visit: > http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information > for: > > [email protected] > > > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins > County area, please visit: > http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
