Food and Farms

Farming is hard work. Building a productive harmony between soil, plants, animals and weather is an alchemy of pluck, luck and know how. Up all night sometimes, out all day. And, I'm no farmer.

The work of farmers on this island, the work of markets and the efforts of Island Grown to help process local meat and bring local food into schools is the current potent manifestation of an ancient practice of agriculture here. Now it's called "Local Food." Not so long ago there was no phrase "Local Food" because that's pretty much all there was.

And so, farmers, farming and the return to producing food here unfold a history at the same time they give us back a promise of self-reliance, of community hands tilling island land so we can eat and be healthy.

It's being done. It's helping us grow or to put "local food" on our tables, and to reveal the power of what we can do and to diminish the reach of agri-business into our bellies.

Alan Healy does this. Krishana Collins, Jim Norton, Rebecca Gilbert do this. Ali Berlow does this, and a whole lot more. It's not easy, but people are giving back the land around us and producing food, and they're helping with the knowhow to grow our own.