Food is sustenance and science; ecology and taste; joy and business. While an integral part of human existence, our food is also, because of the consequences of what we raise and how we raise it, a prime determinant of the land’s ecology. Because of our interest in both the welfare of people and the health of the land, we have been looking at food production from both the sociological and ecological perspectives. What can we grow here? How can that food production support the farmers, and yet also be equitably distributed to the County’s residents? How does food build human and ecological communities? These are ongoing questions, but below you can find two of the ways we have recently been exploring them.
Columbia County Food System Studies: A multi-faceted look at different parts of the food system in Columbia County, from the perspective of both producers and consumers.
New Farmer Narrative Project: A deeper exploration of the new farmers who are choosing to produce food locally. What motivates somebody to take up farming in this County? What are the challenges they face and the joys they experience? This project explores the stories of 20 new farmers around the County.