We have never lived in a more connected time.
I am constantly amazed by the ability unleashed by the smartphone in my hand to connect with practically anyone in the world.
Twitter gives us the ability to reach out to celebrities or newsmakers and touch them directly – or at least make their phone go “bing”.
Facebook give us the ability to know what our elementary school sweethearts had for dinner or what cat poster tickles their fancy this week.
Yet with all this connectivity, we have never been more disconnected from one of the most fundamental aspects of life: food.
You could probably rattle off the name of your dentist, optometrist, and family doctor with ease.
Who’s your family farmer?
We have allowed ourselves to get farther and farther away from the people who produce the food that feeds our families. Those farmers are also farther and farther away – making it even harder to make a meaningful connection. The eggs, meat, bread and produce you buy every day at at the big box stores have most likely come from over 1000 kilometres away and the name of the farmer has been replaced by a brand and a stock photo of a pastoral scene.
I will be the first to admit that I have let this relationship slip like a bad friend who offers up a host of lame excuses like “we have kids”, or “we don’t have time”. I too have bought the giant plastic container of blueberries from Chile for $2.99 and turned a blind eye to how exactly that is possible without some negative impact.
Mostly it is because the big boxes makes it too damn easy to make bad choices that support the deepening disconnect between me and my family farmer.
It doesn’t have to be that way. What if a farmers’ market came to you?
There is an honesty and a trust when you buy food from a person – rather than a corporation. You can look your farmer in the eye. They live where you live.
Local & Fresh exists to help you find your family farmer and start building a relationship with the people who feed you.
The times have changed but the tools have changed too – that smartphone in your hand can be your connection to the farm, a better choice for the environment and a healthier choice for your body.
When we launch in August, the Local & Fresh website give you the opportunity to meet your family farmer, learn about their products and their farm, ask questions about the food they produce and most importantly – restore the critical connection between the farmer and your food.
If you would like to make our phone go “bing” with thoughts, comments or suggestions you can find us on Twitter @fresh2home or on Facebook at /localandfresh.
Andrew Rathwell – Owner, General Manager