Editor - Jan Weaver
208 Tucker Hall, MU 65211
by Jan Weaver
The value of buying your food from local producers is that 1) it supports local farmers and keeps income circulating in the area; 2) it reduces the environmental costs of shipping food hundreds or thousands of miles; 3) it keeps the environmental impacts of food production close to home so we are motivated to deal with them; and 4) it may minimize the exposure of our food to accidental and deliberate contamination. The term for this approach to eating is "localvore", that is, someone who eats locally raised food.
But can it be done? Certainly individuals can find enough food and lots of variety at the local famer's markets - not just produce, but also meat, eggs, cheeses, mushrooms, herbs, dairy, condiments, honey, bread and other interesting items. But could we all be localvores? Is there enough food grown in Boone County to support Boone County's population? A "foodshed" is the flow of food from the place it is grown to the place where it is eaten. Could Boone County be Boon County's foodshed?
The average American eats about 3.6 pounds of food per day. Before you get too excited, the USDA recommended proportions work out to half a pound of grains - at least half of it whole grains, 1.25 pounds of fruits and vegetables, half a pound of protein - at least one fourth of it beans and nuts, and 1.3 pounds of dairy products - milk, cheese and yogurt. Sweets and fats should be near zero. So most of the pounds should come from things like fruits, vegetables and milk, not sodas, ice cream or cookies.
Boone County, with a population of 146,048, needs around 192 million pounds of food per year. This breaks out to 27 million pounds of grains, 65 million pounds of fruits and vegetables, 27 million pounds of meat and/or beans and nuts, and 72 million pounds of dairy foods.
Based on 2002 Census of Agriculture (done every five years), Boone County produced 22.5 million pounds of wheat, at least 12 million pounds of vegetables, 9.4 million of them pumpkins, but also potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes, snap beans, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and turnips, 2.5 million pounds of fruits, 730,000 pounds of them grapes, but also apples, peaches, berries, and watermelons, 1.25 million pounds of beef, 38.8 million pounds of pork, and just under 1 million pounds of milk. The majority of the county's cropland was used to raise soybeans (47,000 acres), hay (38,000 acres), and feed corn (20,000 acres) with additional acres in wheat (10,000) and sorghum (2,800). So, based on the 2002 census, it looks like Boone County can meet 83% of the need for grains, 22% of the need for fruits and vegetables, 148% of the need for protein, just from livestock, and 1.3% of the dairy needs.
Some of the unmet needs are being met in nearby counties. For example, dairies in Cole and Callaway County take care of needs for fresh milk products. However, we probably get lots of our cheese, yogurt and ice cream from Wisconsin or California. Vegetable and fruit needs are being met by growers in California, and in Central and South America during the winter months. The north central plains and central Canada are probably filling in the gaps in grains. If you add in all the things we should limit but don't, sweetners are coming from sugar cane fields in Florida and the Caribbean, sugar beet fields in the central plains, as well as from our own corn fields in the midwest. Finally, there are the specialty crops, coffee, chocolate, tea and similar plants, which cannot be grown in the midwest and which are imported from tropical Asia, Africa and South America.
Obviously these figures are just a first pass at the problem. There were not enough data on chickens, eggs, sheep, lambs, nuts, seeds, or on a variety of less common fruits and vegetables, to draw conclusions and no data on anything produced outside of the commercial agricultural system, or for commercial growers who did not report. Production can vary dramatically from year to year due to weather. For example, the late freeze this past spring decimated the apple and peach orchards so we have essentially no apples or peaches this year though there were around 100,000 pounds in 2002. Market forces can shift what farmers plant. The market for corn-based ethanol changes the acreages planted and drives up the cost of feed for livestock producers, pushing their production down.
Given the amount of acreage currently in soybeans and feed corn, there is probably room and soil to top off the need for grains and to fill most if not all of our fruit and vegetable needs. There is also room and silage for dairy operations. However, for Boone County to produce all the food needs that can be met locally, there has to be a living in it for a grower. Average net per farm income was about $3,500 (yes, $3,500) in 2002 and more than half of the 1400 or so farms in the county depend on the operator having another primary occupation. Even if it is a labor of love, farmers have to eat too. So one challenge is making it pay. This will have to involve the local residents and local businesses that deal in food - restaurants, grocery stores and residence halls - adapting their purchase policies to include local producers.
This is not as simple as being willing to pay more, though that may be part of the equation. Eating habits have to change to. Fresh raspberries in February only happen if they are shipped in from South America. Consumers would have to adjust expectations back to what each season supplies, while growers may need to experiment with methods to extend their growing seasons, and to process what they grow in ways that give it some shelf life. Finally, there are issues of scale. For businesses that deal in volume, it is critical that the market be able to supply sufficient food in a timely fashion. This will be a challenge for the smaller operations - especially if they are labors of love - because it is a different thing to think of a farm as a business with fixed production quotas.
We have come along way in the last decade with the expansion of the local farmer's markets, with stores specializing in local produce or featuring it amongst the products from California and Chile, and with restaurants serving Missouri, if not Boone County agricultural products. This organic expansion of local food production may be the most effective long term approach to redrawing the boundaries of our foodshed, but as a recent newspaper article suggested, maybe we can all kick it up a notch and make a day to be a localvore. Time to pull out those pumpkin recipes!
Businesses that feature locally produced food
Boone County Farmer's Market www.boonecountfarmers.com
Columbia Farmers's Market http://farmersmarket.missouri.org
Sho-Me Farms www.shomefarms.com
Walk-About Acres www.walk-aboutacres.net
Les Bourgeois Vineyards : www.missouriwine.com
Main Squeeze www.main-squeeze.com
Sycamore www.sycamorerestaurant.comSeasonal
Root Cellar 814A East Broadway
Other Resources
Missouri Farmer's Market Directory http://agebb.missouri.edu/fmktdir/view.htm
Showcase of Missouri Agricultural Products http://www.agrimissourishowcase.com/
USDA 2002 Census of Agriculture http://www.nass.usda.gov/Census/Create_Census_US_CNTY.jsp
Help support local growers and the food bank. Donate your change to LOCAL FOOD FOR LOCAL PEOPLE campaign, MU Campus, October 8-12, 9 to 4 in front of the Union and Brady Commons. Donations purchase fresh, local produce for the food bank. Look for the folks in food suits!
BioRegional Quiz: What flowers are blooming now?
Special Events/Programs/Classes/Talks
MIDMO SOLAR TOUR: Oct 5-6, 5th- tour of Platinum LEED DNR Building in Jeff City; 6th, 9-17:30, Unity Center http://www.columbiaclimatechangecoalition.org/live/cal_lite.php?id=13&mode=display&cl_d=5&cl_m=10&cl_y=2007
HUNTSDALE RENDEVOUS & RIVER FESTIVAL: Oct 6-7, 10:00-17:00, Huntsdale. Lewis & Clark Enthusiasts and Re-enactors. http://www.tranquility.net/~cdph/2006%20fest.htm
RECYCLING AT HOME FOOTBALL GAMES: Oct 6, 20:15; Oct 20 tba; Oct 27 tba; Nov 10tba; Mizzou Stadium. Assist Sustain Mizzou in shifts handing out recycling bags to tailgaters before game, emptying containers at half time and once game over. tds253@mizzou.edu
LOCAL FOOD FOR LOCAL PEOPLE FOOD DRIVE: Oct 8-12, 9:00-16:00 MU Campus: Union & Brady Commons. Donate dimes and dollars to purchase fresh local produce for the Food Bank
HINKSON CLEAN SWEEP: Oct 13, 10:00-12:00. Help clean Hinkson. mona.menezes@gocolumbiamo.com
MAYOR'S CUP URBAN ADVENTURE RACE: Oct 13, 9:00, Boone Tavern. Bike ride challenge & benefit. www.offtrackevents.com
ENDANGERED SPECIES WALK/RUN RACE: Oct 13, 9:00, North Jeff C Pavilion @ 63/54. Fund raiser for endangered species & US Track & Field certified http://www.mdc.mo.gov/programs/es_walkrun.
CHESTNUT FESTIVAL: Oct 13, Franklin, MU Horticulture Res Ctr. http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org/
ORIENTEERING MEET AND ECOMARCH: Oct 14, 9:00-14:00, Rock Bridge Mem St ParkTeams $15, individuals $10, free white trail, fundraiser for outdoor education programs. mjdonlsn@aol.com / http://rockbridge.missouri.org.
5TH ANNUAL HOBOCO CYCLING TOUR: Oct 14, 8:00, Harrisburg Picnic Shelter J & 24. 25 or 50 mile course, cancer research fundraiser. http://conservationrelayforlife.missouri.org
INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL WORK DAY: Oct 20 and Nov 3, 10:00-12:00, Hinkson Valley Nature Reserve (off Rock Quarry Rd). Green Belt / Wild Ones work day. 573-442-4224
BIKER / PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC COUNT: Oct 22-26 7:30-8:45 various intersections. Volunteers needed to help with count. sayerss@health.missouri.edu
SEED STORIES: Oct 23, 19:00, Unitarian Church (2615 Shepard). Make seeds that swim, stick or sail and test them against real seeds. http://rockbridge.missouri.org/
MIDMO BIKE TO ROCHEPORT: Nov 3, 9:00, Flat Branch Park. www.offtrackevents.com
KIDS' TROUT OUTING: Nov 4, 12:30 - 15:00, Cosmo Bethel Park. Columbia Parks and Rec fishing event. http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Activities_and_Programs/news.php
Organization Meetings and Contact Information
AUDUBON SOCIETY: 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, Unitarian Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd.
BIG CANOE: 573-875-8590 / bryce_crispies@yahoo.com / http://www.bigcanoemo.org/ - Saturday workdays 10-1 at 406 Sanford
BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION: http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Weds 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: 875-0539 or http://www.midmopeaceworks.org/sustainableliving.php
CHOUTEAU GROTTO: http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, The Casteel Building, 1518 Business Loop 70 East
COLUMBIA CLIMATE CHANGE COALITION: 573-529-9273, http://www.columbiaclimatechangecoalition.org/
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE: 882-7463 or http://foodcircles.missouri.edu/sources.htm
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS: 874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW
CITIZENS WATERSHED COMMITTEE: (573) 526-8916, Third Tuesdays, 6:30 pm, Daniel Boone Bldg
COMMUNITY GARDEN COALITION: 875-5995 or cgardenc@yahoo.com or http://cgc.missouri.org
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF BIG MUDDY: friends@friendsofbigmuddy.org or www.friendsofbigmuddy.org
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
GREENBELT LAND TRUST OF MID-MISSOURI: 442-4789, greenbelt.land.trust @gmail.com or http://greenbelt.missouri.org
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE: 815-9836, drop off/ buy 1906 Monroe St. Columbia Mon to Fri 8:30 to 3:30, Sat 8-1 1pm,
MISSOURI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: www.meea.org
MO NATIVE PLANT SOC.: http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org/, 2nd Mon, odd months, 7 p.m., UU Church, 2615 Shepard
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 573-256-2602 or www.moriver.org or moriver@coin.org
PEDNET COALITION: email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
RIVER RELIEF: http://www.riverrelief.org/
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK: 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION: (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB: 875-2916, http://missouri.sierraclub.org/osage/index.htm 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Found., 1107 University Ave
WILD ONES: 573 882-9909, ext 3257 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays.
Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri.edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.
Answer to BioRegional Quiz: New England Aster, Goldenrod, Downy Gentian, Blazing Star, Cardinal Flower
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