FAQS:

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable Agriculture is a philosophy and method of farming that reduces outside inputs by conserving resources; enhances the environmental quality of the land on which it depends; is economically viable, and contributes to a higher quality of life for both the farmer and the community. Cover crops, crop rotation, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and a strengthened link between farm and consumer are all part of sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable Cuisine celebrates the pleasures of food and the diversity of cultures while recognizing the impact of food on our health and our environment, as well as meeting the challenge of feeding a growing population.

• Purchasing sustainably and locally grown/raised products
• Using ingredients that are seasonal and plentiful (not in danger of depletion)
• Purchasing product locally, and encouraging local purveyors to provide diverse products including heirloom varieties and rare breeds
• Minimizing waste by using all edible parts of a product (i.e. making stock out of scraps and bones), composting, and recycling.

Yes! More and more supermarkets are making local foods available. If you let stores know that buying local is important to you they will respond. Please ask the manager at your favorite stores to provide you with local/sustainable products. Most of the time all it takes is a few customer's requests to motivate the management to provide a product. You can also talk to your local farmers about what kind of products you are interested in purchasing.

Issues facing small farms today are numerous. They include global competition, corporate farm monopolies, young people leaving the family farm, and the increasing price of inputs (raw materials). Today, we have 300,000 fewer farmers than in 1979, and farmers are receiving 13 percent less for every consumer dollar. Over 80 percent of the beef market is controlled by four firms. About 94 percent of the Nation's farms are small farms, but they receive only 41 percent of all farm receipts. Like most major industries, the ownership and control over agricultural assets is increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Additionally, farmers have little to no control over setting the price for their products.

It's nearly impossible to be perfectly sustainable or 100% organic. In a climate like ours in the Northeast it's hard to get a wide variety of produce in the witer. Everyone has their own threshold of how strict they are with regards to choosing foods. You might be inclined to pick up California produce in the winter or eat fruits and vegetables from Caribbean climates. We won't be passing judgement!

If you do want to be sustainable all year-round, there are farmers markets that sell through the 12 months. You can also can and preserve fruits and vegetables, and use foods that make it through the winter in cold storage (root vegetables, squashes, apples.). See our Books section for some good books on canning and preserving.

Choose organic produce or buy coffee (like Equal Exchange or Allegro) that has been grown and harvested responsibly. There are many resources that provide responsibly grown goods and we will continually strive to bring them to your attention.

Knowing the source of your food can help relieve fears. When you have a relationship to the people who grow and raise your food you can talk to them about their methods and ensure that you get the kind of product you want to eat. Many restaurants and markets are becoming sensitive to the fact that people want to know about the source of their foods. Those profiled on Farm to Table buy from local farmers and producers. As consumers create a demand, restaurants and markets will respond. So, just ask!

Getting the basic facts on confusing issues like Mad Cow Disease can be difficult and we hope to be a source of information for you. Our Learn section contains issues, articles, and breaking news about all kinds of food issues, as well as links to more resources.