Family Farmers: Supply Healthy Rural Communities

The Slow Food Movement is not about chewing your food more thoroughly. It's a term used to describe a return to a way of life where food was more natural and sourced locally. Members of Slow Food USA aspire to the mission of "linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community and the environment." It's a stretch goal in a time where saving time wins the day and convenience often prompts us to make poor dietary choices, but there are people in communities across the U.S. coming together to engineer healthier and more sustainable ways of putting good food on the table. One group is being hailed as heroes for organizing to block a factory farm from moving in. The group of "farmers, rural residents and concerned citizens" formed the Friends of Family Farmers, which is a nonprofit with a mission of "promoting sensible policies, programs, and regulations that protect and expand the ability of Oregon’s family farmers to run a successful land-based enterprise while providing safe and nutritious food for all Oregonians. Through education, advocacy, and community organizing, Friends of Family Farmers supports socially and environmentally responsible family-scale agriculture and citizens working to shape healthy rural and urban communities." Sustainable agriculture is their goal along with better quality food for their families, but why stop there? Well, they didn't. Armed with information about the aging farming population, they created an online database to help connect young farmers with land and partnerships and they also educate new farmers with a program called FarmON! In addition to teaching the community about the benefits of sustainable agriculture, they encourage their supporters to know where their meat comes from and to choose only animals raised in pastures. Do you know about a group of citizens who took up a cause to improve the health of their community? Nominate them for next week's AmericanTown's Heroes. Photo of Nathan Moomaw from Moomaw Family Farm.