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Thursday, 24 September 2009 20:58 |
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A family spending as little as $10 a week on locally produced fruits and vegetables would bring revenue of five million dollars for farmers from the 10,000 families in Cookeville. More money would be circulated in the local community, which would help it thrive in both health and wealth. Considering that there are twenty-one farmers’ markets in the Upper Cumberland region, that economic impact is significant.
According to The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, a tomato that you buy at your local grocery store or any fresh produce has typically traveled 1,500 miles to reach you. Today Americans are facing a difficult question: With oil prices reaching $125 a barrel, making increasing food prices inevitable because of shipping costs, where are we going to get the farm products that are now being transported from places like New Zealand and Chile? A CNN report of May 10, 2008, stated that local farms, including Tennessee’s small and medium-sized farms, might hold the answer. Combine that statistic with the Upper Cumberland Development District’s research from February 2009… our region is experiencing an astounding unemployment rate of 12.7%. Connecting the consumer and the producer on a local level could have a significant effect on both.
There is a recognized need and demand for local food production in most communities in the United States (Enshayan, 2008). One WCTE Live Green and Prosper partner, Tennessee Tech University’s Waters Organic Farm, recently took a survey of local consumers. The results showed that there is a demand for locally produced food that is readily available to the community. In addition, many customers have indicated that they would participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organization or would buy direct from local farms. Another survey determined that, in Tennessee, fruit and vegetable growers were expecting changes to occur in their marketing practices, with 26.5 percent of them anticipating increased direct marketing of their products, including the ability to order online.
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Ladybug McGreen's Blog 
