The Eat Local Foods Movement
By Gerlind Dubey

It’s All About Changing the Way You
Eat for the betterment of Yourself and the Environment.

Locally grown food is an environmentally friendly way of obtaining naturally raised and grown foods, thus supporting local farmers. The Local Food Movement, long popular in Euro-Asia is rapidly gaining followers all across our country. The reason being is that more and more people are discovering that the best-tasting and most sustainable choices are foods that are fresh and are grown close to home. The movement has even brought about a new term—locavore, which describes someone who purchases and eats foods grown locally or produced within a specified boundary. The locavore movement encourages consumers to buy locally or to produce their own food with the belief that local products are more nutritious, are not genetically modified, contain far less preservatives, wax coverings, food colors, or other chemicals that are often found in commercially grown fruits, vegetables and meats. And in fact they taste better!

The Eat Local movement has secured several sources across Cattaraugus County for purchasing locally grown foods and naturally raised beef and pork. In Ellicottville, there is Nature’s Remedy which will be stocking farm produce from Native Offerings CSA this season. Nature’s Remedy has had great success in educating the community with their recently opened grocery (section??). They are happy to share information with people regarding healthy eating alternatives.

In Humphrey, NY, you will find Tickletown Trust and Trade, food networking through seed saving. Tickletown is the creation of Lois Hilton who has been practicing the “Locavore Movement” long before the term was invented Tickletown Trade and Trust will hold its annual seed swap on May 9th 2009 starting at 4 pm. Bring open pollinated homegrown seeds, perennials, tree seedlings, etc. to swap and sell. To learn more about seed saving there will be a fun workshop hosted by Richard Price, who will educate us on the how- to and why of growing your own seeds. Lois and friends celebrate the earth with a monthly signature Full Moon potluck dinner which falls that same night, Join Lois and her friends at the Full Moon gathering at 6 P.M. If you have any questions, please contact Lois at 945-5460 or email at: tickletown@gmail.com. Over the years Lois found many people who shared her ideals and concerns. A sustainable living group formed dedicated to rural regeneration, which has created a community that is influential in preserving our planet. Plans are in the works to reopen the store as a “Local Market” carrying “GREEN” locally produced non-food merchandise such as articles of clothing, and wood products made from harvested dead trees and antiques. Future plans on the sight for 2010 include the opening of the“Locavore Café“
Lois also gave me insight to foraging anther interesting way to eat locally; there’s fish to be caught, wild greens to make salads, such as dandelion leaves, planks (wild leeks) wild garlic, garlic mustard and edible toad lily leaves and many more edible wild foods Now is also the time to collect fiddle heads from the ostrich fern; sautéed this delicacy taste akin to asparagus. Our surroundings are overgrown with edible herbs, greens, berries, roots, nuts, seeds and mushrooms, to forage safely, you’ll need to identify anything you want to eat with 100 percent certainty and avoid collecting in areas sprayed with chemicals. By studying foraging and nature, we enjoy our renewable resources and reaffirm our commitment to preserving and rebuilding our ecological riches.

Also open to the public is Inkley’s naturally raised Black Angus Meat’s in Randolph. Dr. Inkley, along with his daily duties of a local small animal veterinarian, has literally taken the bull by the horns, raising certified-all natural- Black Angus beef. At Inkleys’ Angus Hill Farm they raise calves the natural way giving the cow’s free range of their hillside pasture without chemical pesticides or growth hormones they produce healthy, perfectly marbled, great tasting beef.

Dr. Inkley is not your traditional ‘gentleman farmer’ but is part of a growing group of ranchers and business owners who say the meat industry has cut so many corners for the sake of profit that the environment and quality of beef have been compromised. In addition to the health benefits for consumers, Dr. Inkley feels that the animals are treated more humanely than those finished in confinement. Dr. Inkley even purchased his own slaughter operation in Panama to ensure a clean and humane environment for the animals.

R.E.A.P Farmers Markets open this summer in Salamanca and Randolph on Tuesdays, Franklinville on Wednesdays and Olean on Saturdays across the county will open soon offering the public choice produce.

The local food networks include Community-Supported Agriculture farmers. Known as CSA, these farms sell “shares” where consumers purchase advance shares in a local farmer’s annual production, and pick up their shares, usually weekly, from communal distribution points. In effect, CSA members become active participants in local farming, by providing up-front cash to finance expenses and share the rewards and risks of the seasons growing conditions. The CSA concept started in Switzerland and Japan in the 1960s, but wasn’t introduced to the U.S. until the mid-1980s. Today, there are more than 1,300 CSA farms in the United States.

Two CSA farms are situated in Cattaraugus County. Native Offerings Farm in Otto, New York, operated by Stew and Deb Ritchie documents the Locavore Movement. The farm employs 4-5 full time people and both Stew and Deb work full time on the farm.  They have a couple of part time employees and lots of work-trade “volunteers” (approximately 20-25).  

In a recent interview with Deb Ritchie, we discussed the Eat Local Food Movement. I asked if the movement is becoming more popular and if she is finding that share requests are increasing. She replied, “The demand for our shares has increased dramatically in the last few years.  We are sold out for the season already.  I get a few emails a day of people interested in shares and we now have a waiting list for next season (with names from people interested last year that missed out this year, too.  We allow existing shareholders to re-register first and then fill in left over share slots with new comers.  So really we are quite limited in how many new people we can take each year.  We have no desire to get bigger, we expand slightly every year, but we want to remain intimate with our costumers and very hands- on in our management of the farm.”

Native Offerings is focusing on making other dreams they have come true.  Stew has a passion for growing and has added wine varieties to his repertoire, with hopes of being successful in growing wine grapes and producing wine.  The farm also purchased heritage pigs (Berkshires and Herefords) that will be bred and raised.  These breeds have a superior flavor and will do well in a pasture environment.

For those interested in working for vegetables, Native Offerings has a work trade program.
 Working shareholders come to the farm one morning a week to help with harvesting. Native Offerings work share days are Tuesdays and Thursdays, work shift is 7AM to 1PM (approximately). The trade is a full shift for a small share of veggies.

Canticle Farm is a non-profit CSA located in Allegany, NY. It is a ministry supported by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. Summer shares are sill available Shares may contain the following items:  beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, gourds, Asian greens, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, melons, onions, bok choi, peas, peppers (sweet and hot), potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, rutabagas, shallots, spinach, summer squash, winter squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes (heirloom, hybrid, paste, cherry), turnips, zucchini, and herbs (basil, cilantro, dill, parsley). PYO (pick your own) crops may include the following items:  beans, peas, cherry tomatoes, herbs and flowers. New Option Available:  Pay for your 2009 CSA Share using PayPal! Go to www.canticlefarm.org

The farm offers a special space for contemplation where you can take advantage of the peace and quiet offered by Canticle Farms reflection area, west of the farm fields. The Franciscan Sisters invite you to drive into the second entrance way and park your vehicle on the grass. The reflection area holds a labyrinth, Peace Pole, a lovely perennial garden, a St. Francis statue surrounded by a flower bed, and a bench. Canticle Farms supports a farm stand that offers seasonal Canticle Farm produce for sale to the general public. You do NOT have to be a CSA Shareholder to purchase from the stand. The Farm Stand is the wooden shed next to the road that is located at the farm at 3835 South Nine Mile Road, Allegany, NY.

Canticle Farms also participates in the REAP Olean Farmers’ Market. The Farmers’ Market operates from May to October. The Olean Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 8 AM to 2 PM at the JCC parking lot in downtown Olean.

Support Cattaraugus Counties Small-Scale Farmers and Processors When you buy food from local sources, you make the choice to sustain our environment, care for your health, and sustain your local economy. Plus, local foods boast a delicious flavor--taste the difference!! To Really See the Benefits Try to Not Only Change Your Diet But Change Your Perspective Too.