What to Ask Local Farmers

We ask a lot of our farmers

Society asks a lot of our farmers. We ask them to provide wholesome and nutritious foods that taste great. We ask them to conserve the environment as stewards of the land. We ask them to safeguard our food supply from pollution and contamination. We ask them to be good citizens and supporters of the local community. Perhaps we ask more of farmers than we do of anyone else in our communities. They certainly deserve our respect and our business when they do their best.

And we should keep asking

As individuals we must also ask a lot of our farmers and processors. We need to ask them questions not only to encourage them to meet our expectations but also to offer them a chance to educate us about their part of the food system. By asking questions, we develop a connection to the land, our rural neighbors, and what we're having for dinner. This personal communication helps rebuild local food systems which are the foundations for local communities.

We encourage you to communicate with your farmers and ask them questions such as:

What kind of production practices do they use?
Do they use synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, or other chemicals?
When do they harvest the products and how do they store them before sales?
For livestock, do they use antibiotics or growth hormones?
Do they take steps to reduce soil erosion?
Do they obtain farm inputs, such as seed and manure, from local sources?

Furthermore, local processors can be asked:

Where do the livestock or produce for the processed products come from?
How much of the products are sold locally?
What steps do they take to reduce air, land, and water pollution?

By asking these and other questions, you can start learning firsthand about the food you buy and the local farmers you support. These conversations will open up your world to delicious local foods from farmers you know and trust.