WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “GO LOCAL” AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
This is an SOS, a call to action.
Our islands are a microcosm of the world. We are truly on a ship, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; our only physical connections to the rest of the world are dependent on oil.
We use the image of the seed because it symbolizes a new beginning and honors the fact that within each of us is all the information and passion needed to grow and transform into a new way of being that is full of possibility…
Seeds of Sustainability – by choosing to purchase and grow food locally in our Hawaiian islands we each make a daily choice and contribution towards increasing the sustainability of human life here in the islands. With some 85% of our food currently imported, we are contributing vast amounts of resources and money to the shipping, oil and processed food industries. The distance from the farm to our table is too far when many of our daily food needs could be met by locally produced products.
Seeds of Security – the Hawaii we live in today is defined by pervasive food insecurity. What this means is that if the ships and containers of imported food stopped coming to our islands, or if the price of oil goes so high that this food becomes unaffordable for the majority of people here, we do not have the local food systems in place to support even a small part of our 1 million plus population. We are not secure. By choosing to support local agriculture, by choosing to grow some of your own food, by choosing to shop at farmers markets and in the supermarket buy the locally grown produce rather than the imports, you can contribute one small step towards increasing our food security. Only if we value agricultural land will we be able to save it from development. Only if we value our food security will we be able to increase our ability to feed ourselves and weather the storms of the potential futures that lie ahead.
Seeds of Sovereignty – it is our goal to reclaim the independence of our islands from our current dependence on imported food. As it stands today we cannot survive even a short time without ships brining us the food we eat. Some estimates say that we have a 5-6 day supply of food on the shelves. While this has not been substantiated, it is clear that we do not have much that is grown locally with which to feed ourselves. As a collective we can change this. It is possible to grow enough food locally to provide the majority of our needs. While we will still import some food as long as it is reasonable and possible to do so, we can begin to re-establish sovereignty over our local food production.
This movement starts at home, on your plate, in your own garden, at the grocery store with the daily purchasing choices you make, with the restaurants you choose to eat at and the farmers you choose to support through markets or CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture). There are simple steps and simple choices we can each take every day to move toward sustainability, security and sovereignty. The future is in our hands and it is time to open our eyes.
Food sustains us in body mind and spirit; it is something we cannot live without. What we put into our bodies builds our cells; we truly are what we eat. A Hawaii with vibrant local food systems is a Hawaii we would all like to live in, with a rich agricultural sector, healthy delicious food to eat, and healthier bodies and minds. Joining together our collective creative resources we can make this change a reality – one choice and one-step at a time.
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HOW TO “GO LOCAL”
There are a lot of great ways to get involved in the movement to “go local.” Here are a couple suggestions to get you started. Remember, ever little bit counts, so start small and set one goal for yourself, like buying produce one day a week from the farmer’s market. Before you know it, you’ll be a certified “locavore”!
Buy organic “in season” produce
Yes, believe it or not, there are seasons for the foods we eat. However, consumers have become so accustomed to buying anything and everything at the local grocery store, that the concept has become completely lost on the current generation. In her book Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Barbara Kingsolver laments:
“Biology teachers face kids in classrooms who may not even believe in the metamorphosis of bud to flower to fruit and seed, but rather, some continuum of pansies becoming petunias becoming chrysanthemums; That’s the only reality they witness as landscapers come to campuses and city parks and surreptitiously yank out one flower before it fades from its prime, replacing it with another”
Click HERE for a link to “in season” recipe ideas
Also check out a Seasonality Chart for Hawaii by clicking HERE and a list of edible plants that grow well in Hawaii.
Shop at your local farmer’s market
Not only will you be purchasing fresh produce, you’ll also help bolster the local economy by supporting local farmers!
Click HERE for a list of farmer’s markets in Hawaii.
Or, find a Farmer’s Market on Oahu by area, date, time, and location below!
By zipcode
[...] Why and How to “Go Local” [...]
thank you for sharing your knowledge! very informative…