Mo-Co Alliance
  • Home
  • About Us
    • What We Do
    • A Brief History
    • Board & AC
    • Staff & Volunteers
    • Contact
    • Buy MCA Gear
  • About Ag Reserve
    • History of the Ag Reserve
    • Benefits of the Ag Reserve
    • Farm Facts
    • Threats to the Ag Reserve
    • A Place with Purpose
  • News
  • Events
    • Local Events
    • Growing Legacy
    • Royce Hanson Award
    • Ride for Reserve
  • Support Local
    • Agricultural Guide
    • Local Food Connection
    • Good Fences Grant
    • Community Supported Agriculture
    • Restaurants & Retail
    • Artists of the Reserve
  • Community Resources
    • Land Link >
      • Labor Link
    • PLENTY Magazine
    • Solar Resources
    • Producer's Resources
    • Directory of Local Services
    • Friends of Ten Mile Creek
    • Well and Septic Resources
    • Re-leaf the Reserve
    • Agriculture Education
  • Membership
    • Sponsors and Partners

News

Drought in CA Drives Up Food Costs- Time for Local Food!

4/17/2014

 
by Kristina Bostick
Wildfires, Drought, whatever inane summer blockbusters coming soon to our theaters- the news from California has not been good. But in all seriousness, some fear that the droughts in the state that grows most of our country's food are more of a "new normal" than just a bad spring. 
Picture
While farmers are the first to feel the pain of prolonged adverse conditions, the impacts are now moving through the food system to retailers and consumers. As this news report from California notes, "A head of lettuce could go up as much as 62 cents, an avocado may increase by 35 cents and a pound of tomatoes appears to be headed for a 45-cent hike, according to a study that examined the effects of California's drought on food prices."

California is importing the items that used to grow well there. Its like Iowa importing corn. 


Local food proponents have often said that a day would come where the costs and logistics of trucking and flying food to consumers from far away would become at best cost prohibitive or at worst- impossible.  The problem is, it is going to look like a few bad seasons of  drought and other problems before we realize we have reached that point. 


Meanwhile, the energy and resources spent to strengthen local food systems will pay dividends for generations in a way that paying more and more for the same truck and jet fuel will not. 


In Montgomery County, forward thinking leaders set aside land close to growing population centers specifically for agriculture. The Ag Reserve is a marvel- the current long time farm families are doing their bit to feed the region as they have for generations. But there is space and demand and literally hunger (most small farmers in the Reserve partner with local food banks)  for more locally grown food. The question of whether we need to produce more farmers and food close by is settled- now we work on the "how".
Here's How MCA is working to bolster local food production: 

Land Link
- Linking Farmers and Landowners for long term leases to expand existing farms and start new ones.

New Farm Pilot
- Partnering with the County, we are taking new farmers and giving them the training, and mentoring to get started and then planting them right here in the Ag Reserve.

Producers Listserve and Producers Summits-
 We are building a stronger community among local farmers.

Two ways you can help: 
  1. Support your Local Farmer- frequent markets or go the next step and join a CSA.
  2. Become a Member of MCA- Annual membership is only $25 to support our work to grow farms and food on the edge of our growing cities.
Picture

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Action
    Barnesville Oaks/Greentree
    Bike
    Climate Change
    CSA
    Development
    Education
    Energy
    Events
    Fun!
    Growing Legacy
    Land Link
    Local Food
    Master Plan Update
    Mega Church
    Montgomery Council
    News
    Open Space
    Outer Beltway
    Parks
    Planning
    Potomac Bridge
    Racial Justice
    Recent Accomplishments
    Recipes
    Reducing Waste
    Regenerative Ag
    Releaf
    Rocklands
    Rural Schools
    Sewer
    Solar
    Take Action Now
    Ten Mile Creek
    Thrive 2050
    Transporation
    Water

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012
    November 2010
    October 2010

ABOUT US
What We Do
A Brief History
Board & AC
Staff & Volunteers
Contact
​​Buy MCA Gear
ABOUT Ag RESERVE
History of the Ag
Benefits of the Ag
Farm Facts
Threats to the Ag
​A Place with Purpose
NEWS
EVENTS
Local Events
Growing Legacy
Royce Hanson Award
SUPPORT LOCAL
Ag Guide
Local Food Connection
Community Supported Agriculture
Restaurants & Retail
​Artists of the Reserve
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
​Land Link
Producer's Resources
Directory of Services
Picture
Montgomery Countryside Alliance
P.O Box 24, Poolesville, MD  20837
301-461-9831  •  ​info@mocoalliance.org
Picture
Picture
Picture

Picture
MCA is proud to announce that we have been recognized for a third time as one of the best small charities in the D.C. region by Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington. A panel of 110 expert reviewers from area foundations, corporate giving programs, and peer non-profit organizations evaluated 270 applications.

​MCA is known as an effective and innovative non-profit whose efforts to preserve and promote Montgomery County’s nationally recognized 93,000 acre Ag Reserve have brought increased public and governmental support of local food production and farmland and open space preservation. Most importantly, MCA’s efforts are putting more farmers on the ground and keeping them there.
COPYRIGHT © MONTGOMERY COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE 2008