Agriculture

By Jay "jay sweeney" (sweeney) Sweeney, jay sweeney

Supporting Family Farms and Sustainable Agriculture

A buy local public service advertising campaign should be implemented.

I believe we should develop a system of year round farmer's markets that sell not only fruits and vegetables, but, dairy products and meats as well as other farm products, hay for instance. There are some fine examples of successful operations, such as the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia and the Penn State Creamery, that can be duplicated throughout the state. Direct marketing of farm products is a win win situation for the farmer and consumer. Value added products including cheeses, pies and jams will create more income for our farmers.

Community Supported Agriculture puts consumers in direct contact with the farm and makes them aware of the source of their food. CSAs are cropping up all across the state. Many of these farmers practice Natural or Organic farming techniques. These practices are part off the sustainable agriculture movement and include the use of animal fertilizers, green manures, beneficial insects and other non-chemical treatments to build healthy soil and combat insects. The sales of organically grown foods and products has grown 20% annually for the past 10 years. This demonstrates the desire of the consumer for food products produced without the use of pesticides, genetic engineering or growth hormones. They are willing to pay a premium to purchase these products.

The recent tainted tomato scare indicates a system that is not insuring a safe food supply. I believe that a system focusing on local distribution will provide fresher, cheaper and healthier foods.

I believe there should be incentives to implement the sale of locally produced farm goods to schools, hospitals, prisons and other government sponsored institutions.