Editor:
Re: “Get farm fresh,” Letters, July 14.
Thank you to Arwen MacDonald for the shout out to farm fresh local food. As the person behind the Sechelt Farm Collective, this issue has been on my mind quite a bit lately – how to let folks know of the abundance of fresh, local, healthy, organic products being grown right here on the Sunshine Coast.
Mainstream grocery stores play a vital role in the supply chain, but here with our mild coastal weather we are able to grow a huge variety of fruits and veggies; wouldn’t it be nice to make that supply chain way shorter?
In an ideal world, consumers’ first choice would be to purchase as close to home as possible, buying eggs from your neighbour, for example, then work your way out – say, Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Okanagan – sourcing products in an ever-widening pool with the last resort being far-off regions where we have no knowledge of how plants are grown or livestock raised.
The impact of this tiny change in shopping habits is huge. This money stays in our community, allows people to do what they love, allows us to have control of our health and wellness, contributes to social initiatives, preserves rural land for wildlife and continues the noble effort to farm.
It is easy to start a change; there are two farm collectives, Sechelt and Gibsons, four farmers’ markets and numerous farm stands dotting the entire Coast from Langdale to Egmont, one stop shopping with good karma.
You will be surprised and delighted at what you can buy that is grown right here on the Coast. Go out and find yourself a farmer, get connected, and keep our coastal food supply chain as short as possible.
Jill Hemmings, [email protected], Sechelt Farm Collective on Facebook
