How to Support Sustainable Agriculture – 10 Ways!

Most of us know that we should support local, sustainable agriculture, but many people just don’t know where to start.  Here are some tips to help connect you with your food and cut down on our dependence on big agriculture companies!

10 Ways to Support Sustainable Agriculture

1. Grow Your Own.  Everyone’s circumstances are different, but almost everyone can grow SOMETHING for themselves.  Whether you have a huge garden, or you can only regrow scallions in your window sill, start somewhere and grow your own!  Maybe you can manage a little planter of lettuce on your back porch.  Just skip the Miracle-Gro for me, OK?
2. Know Your Farmer.  When you look into the eye of the person who grows your food, you have a special connection with what ends up on your plate.  Your money goes into their pocket to allow them to continue doing what they love instead of into the hands of a million and one middle men and shippers when you buy anonymous food from the supermarket.
3. Farmer’s Markets.  And where better to meet your farmer than the farmer’s market?  I don’t mean the big industrial places that call themselves farmer’s markets.  I mean stop by the side of the road.  Most areas have one these days.  Look for the tents.  They will lead you to the best produce and nicest people in town!
4. CSAs.  If you don’ t have time to hit the farmer’s market every week, consider joining a CSA! (Community Supported Agriculture) You will know who grew your food, and you may even get the chance to help out from time to time if that is your sort of thing!
5. Cook at Home.  You know this, right?  Once you procure all this great produce from the farm stand and the CSA, you need to actually stay home and cook for yourself.  If you are an adventurous home cook, this sounds like heaven, right?  I know it is daunting for those of you who don’t love cooking.  Start with simple basic recipes.  When you have great ingredients, you usually don’t have to do anything too fancy to make them taste good!
6. Preserve the Harvest.  Did you get an amazing deal on strawberries at the farm stand this week?  Why not buy more than you can eat fresh?  Is your peach tree going bananas?  Let’s save some for later!  Frozen fruits are amazing in smoothies, and there is NOTHING like eating a cobbler in February made with fruit you grew last summer!  Drying tomatoes is easy to do and they can add zip to your food all year!  What about branching out with jelly, jam, preserves or pickles?  Your future self will thank you!
7. Don’t Spray Chemicals on Your Yard.  We often think only our property is affected when we use chemicals, but the nasty truth is that those things seep into the ground.  Runoff occurs.  It isn’t just about you.  That pesticide can kill your neighbor’s bees.  That herbicide can end up in your favorite farmers’ field.  Think long and hard about the products you use.  Is it really worth it?  
8. Plant a Bee Friendly Flower Garden.  Speaking of bees.  Even if you aren’t a beekeeper yourself, you rely on bees for everything from the honey you spread on your toast to the fruit on your plate.  It’s simple, without bees, we are sunk.  Let’s show them some love in the form of flowers.  Welcome them to your yard, and for heaven’s sake, don’t swat!
9. Just Say “NO” to GMOs Whenever You Can.  This one is tough.  I know it is.  It’s certainly a work in progress for our family.  Educate yourself about genetically modified produce and products.  Try to choose a different option whenever you are able to.  Sometimes this means choosing the less processed item, or the organic one over the conventional item.  We vote with our dollars.  Show the world we don’t want their GMOs!
10. Share with Friends.  This is the fun part for me.  I was going to say something expected like “buy organic,” but hey, my grandaddy was known as the “Vegetable Man” for a reason, and I seem to be following in his footsteps.   He wouldn’t dream of going to the doctor’s office (or anywhere else) in the summer without a big bucket of produce to share with the staff!  It is so fun to share what you have grown (or even a good deal you found) with friends.  It develops a sense of community and people will want to share back with you, so it’s win-win!  I double-dog-dare-you to try it!   

Let’s share ideas!  What do you do to support sustainable agriculture?

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