Local Food Matters

What kind of future are we growing?

With the Summer Solstice having come and gone, the fields are bursting with life. We recently chopped, raked, and bailed hay, which always brings out the wildlife. Hawks, herons, and other predators circle overhead, hoping to catch mice and gophers disturbed by the harvest. The days are long, the crops are growing, and it’s a season that reminds me how fortunate we are to live surrounded by farms, forests, rivers, and the people who care for them.

Recently, I read an article by one of my favorite California authors that I can’t stop thinking about. Mark Arax describes California as a place built on extraction. First, it was gold. Then oil. Today, he argues, it is water.

He writes about the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. From the highway, it looks like abundance itself: endless rows of almonds, pistachios, fruits, and vegetables stretching to the horizon.

Yet, beneath that abundance lies another, darker story. Rivers have been diverted. Groundwater that took thousands of years to accumulate is being pumped away in a matter of decades. In some places, the land is literally sinking as ancient aquifers are drained faster than nature can replenish them.

At the same time, agriculture faces another challenge: the steady loss of farmland to housing developments, warehouses, roads, and expanding cities. We call it urban sprawl. As communities grow, some of our most productive soils are permanently converted to other uses. While water shortages challenge what can be grown, urban sprawl reduces where food can be grown at all.

What struck me most was his observation that what appears to be abundance may actually be borrowed from the future. Sure, the harvest is impressive, but eventually, the bill comes due.

His article made me think about how we measure success in agriculture. Is it simply the amount of food we produce? Reading his article reminded me that healthy farming isn’t measured solely by what leaves the farm. It’s also measured by what remains: healthy soil, clean water, pollinators, wildlife habitat, and enough productive farmland to feed future generations.

As consumers, we often think buying organic is enough. Organic certification is important; we at Whole Circle Farms believe deeply in it. But Arax’s article made me ponder another question worth asking:

Where was my food grown?

The hands that feed our community. Melissa Pylipow of Gardenripe is a valued member of the Silverton Farmers Market and an integral part of our community. Her dedication, hard work, and beautiful produce enrich the market every week. We’re grateful for all she brings!

Food carries a story.

Was it grown by a family who knows the names of the birds nesting along their creek? Was it grown by people who live on the land and hope to pass it on to their children and grandchildren? Or was it grown in a system so large that the connection between the soil and the consumer has nearly disappeared?

That doesn’t mean Oregon is somehow exempt from these challenges. We face many of the same pressures: growing populations, rising land prices, housing demand, water concerns, and the gradual loss of farmland to development. The choices we make today will shape what our landscape looks like tomorrow.

What gives me hope is that local food systems still exist here. We can meet the people who grow our food. We can visit farmers markets. We can support family farms that are working to steward the land, protect natural resources, and keep farmland in production for future generations.

The next time you’re shopping, look beyond the label. Ask:

• where your food comes from
• who grew it
• how it was grown
• what kind of future your food dollars are supporting

Because every purchase is a vote, not only for what we eat today, but for the kind of landscape, community, and agriculture we leave behind for the next generation.

As we celebrate the longest days of the year, I’m grateful to everyone who chooses to support local farms, local food, and the people working every day to care for the land.

Happy Summer Solstice,
Rochelle & Peter
Whole Circle Farms

Mark Arax’s “Welcome to California: land of plunder and hypocrisy” (the article mentioned above) can be found here.

(As an aside, if you’re looking for a good summer read, I highly recommend West of the West, also by Mark Arax. His essays explore the people, landscapes, and resources that have shaped the American West. Whether you agree with all of his conclusions or not, his writing has a way of making you look at farms, rivers, towns, and open spaces with fresh eyes. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished the last page.)