Local products good for people, environment

Friday, Dec. 11, 2009

Following a successful "Farm to School Week" at two Calvert County elementary schools this fall, CHESPAX held a program at Barstow Elementary School in Prince Frederick on Tuesday evening encouraging Calvert residents to support their local farms.

At the program, titled "Bounty of our County: Grow Local – Eat Local," representatives from CHESPAX, the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, the Calvert County Sustainable Agricultural Workshop and the University of Maryland Extension Program each gave a short presentation emphasizing the benefits — ranging from both health and stimulating the local economy — of selecting local products.

CHESPAX Green Schools coordinator Michelle Daubon said Tuesday's event was the first part of a series that will include similar presentations at schools considered "targets" to become Green Schools.

She said that along with Barstow Elementary School, Windy Hill, Mutual and Calvert elementary schools are also potential Green Schools.

Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission Executive Director Christine Bergmark explained that her organization was created to administrate the tobacco buyout in the late 1990s and that without tobacco production, local farms are only that much more in need of support.

Bergmark said that along with tasting delicious, local produce is "not only good for you; it's good for the environment."

She explained this, saying locally produced products cut down on carbon by saving money on food transportation.

"It keeps the dollars here; it keeps our farms in business," Bergmark said, adding that her organization's current challenge is "to help those farms diversify into new and different forms of activity."

She said that for this, "new types of thinking; new types of marketing; and new types of consumers," are needed.

Bergmark continued that while she'd like Southern Maryland residents to buy locally year-round, programs like Farm to School Week and the statewide Buy Local Challenge are "a way to get the non-converted to think ‘OK, I can do this.'"

She also said that with programs like "Kids Cook," in which elementary students take field trips to local farms, "We always get comments like ‘these are better than any strawberries I get at the store."

Kirsti Uunila of the Calvert County Sustainable Agricultural Workshop went into several specific ways in which Calvert County citizens can support their local farms.

"The goal of the Calvert County Government is to have seven farmers markets in each of the town centers," she said, continuing that lack of production is what currently hinders this goal.

"Not only do we need to grow more food; we need to grow more people to grow more food," said Uunila, who added that there are currently farmers markets in Lusby, Prince Frederick, North Beach, Solomons and Sunderland.

"I think some people are surprised to see the variety of products grown locally," said Uunila, explaining that these products are not only fruits and vegetables, but also meats, poultry, grains, honey, jams and jelly.

She also encouraged the audience to join the "Calvert Eats Local" organization, which meets every third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Calvert Library, Prince Frederick, in addition to holding potlucks and other events.

"Being in a group like this where people are networking and exchanging information, you can learn a lot," she said.

Herb Reed of the University of Maryland Extension program said the Farm to School Week, which was held at Appeal and Plum Point elementary schools, was a step in the right direction in terms of educating youth about buying and eating locally.

lbuck@somdnews.com