Is it possible to redesign our food systems in the U.S./Mexico borderlands so that they enhance the “caring capacity” of our lands and its communities? Can we increase that capacity so that we will be less apt to impoverish both the health of the land and the health of its multi-cultural communities than they currently do?”  From: http://garynabhan.com/i/archives/143

Philip Ackerman-Leist poses this week’s prompt based on his FoodWorks Talk and in response to the above quote he featured in his talk: 

As we look to finding leverage points for building community-based food systems, there seem to be three categories of solutions: entrepreneurial efforts, policy initiatives, and grassroots/NGO approaches.  From your experiences thus far in VT/KY, describe an effort you are seeing in one of these three categories and analyze its (potential for) success and its challenges.  Remember that analyzing failed efforts can be as illustrative as describing successful projects.

By the way:  Some of the resources he referred to are now listed on the “What We’re Reading” page (under this week) in the Readings and Resources section:  https://sites.middlebury.edu/foodworks/what-were-reading/.

For this week’s blog prompt, Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross poses two critical questions about building an inclusive and resilient food system:

How can we evolve our local food system to expand the socio-economic range of our population that can effectively participate?

How do we overcome the assume contraction between supporting local food systems and our food access concerns?

The “wedge.”

The “level.”

The “fulcrum.”

Ivor said that being a consumer was a passive fallacy. In reality, he said, we are co-producers in the items we buy, use, eat, wear, wear-out, throw-away or recycle. For the “wedge” to engage the market, it needs more than just the idea or the champion; it needs co-producers supporting the endeavor with money, confidence, and encouragement. I saw this repeatedly as we visited the Root Cellar and Grasshoppers down here in Louisville, and I am sure the Middlebury alum who started his own farm was supported by others who enjoyed eating his produce and believed in what the farm stood for.    McDonalds doesn’t need a wedge. It is one of the 16 ton Acme weights that seems to be immovable. It also seems that many are helping solidify the its position. These behemoths (ie. Monsanto, Cargill, Yum!, etc.) cover the economic landscape in regards to food and agriculture. Is it our job to move these obstacles? Do we work around them? Or burrow into them?

What are the effective “wedges” that you have found in your community? How do you identify them as something positive for the community and local economy? How can you become a co-producer beyond just buying their products?