This is not new, but I ran across it today and wanted to post a bit of it. “It Takes a Community to Sustain a Local Farm” was published by Grist Magazine on January 6 and came to my attention via FoodRoutes.org.
Briefly:
“These days it seems the most popular person to be in the food system is the “local farmer.” Farmers markets are popping up everywhere, and their size and popularity grow all the time. Local food is trendy- even the First Family is in on it.
“But as anyone who has ever raised grain or livestock can tell you, the farmer is not the only person in the chain of players from her farm to your fork. In addition to producers, your food chain includes processors, distributors or transporters, and retailers.
“In other words, to have a truly local food system, we also need local butchers, bakers and millers, local truck drivers, local grocers, and a community that supports them in all their efforts….
…”I believe the answer lies in the example we have set for ourselves with beginning farmers. Society is beginning to see farming as a dignified and profitable profession again, and with that comes market demand for good farmers, respect for the profession, government programs to encourage new farmers, and training and educational opportunities. We need similar opportunities for small-scale butchers, millers, bakers, and other types of processors.” –Steph Larsen
Members of my family have been trying to market and distribute purebred Berkshire pork for many years, so I understand how much effort it takes to get everyone working together–producer, processor, distributor, and consumer. We’re lucky in this community to have the Whole Foods Co-op and businesses like the Chester Creek Cafe, Duluth Grill, Green Mercantile, Lake Avenue Cafe, New Scenic Cafe, Nokomis, Northern Waters Smokehaus, Positively Third Street Bakery, and others that value local ingredients and products. If you share the goal of creating a truly local food system, however, we’ve still got a long ways to go!
Stone's Throw Farm 
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