Meat + Poultry - September 2005 - 78

MODIF YING MEANING

Family farm
The USDA defines a family farm as
one that produces enough agricultural products to be recognized by
the community as a farm and not
just a rural residence, produces
enough income (including off-farm
employment) to cover farm expenses,
is managed by the operator and involves a substantial amount of work
done by family members.
The family farm is something
held by many as a sentimental ideal.
"The general press uses this term to
evoke a Norman Rockwellian image
of lush pastures and contented
cows," Jolley says.
An editorial from The New York
Times discusses how the image of the
family farm can be used politically:
"Politics tends to exploit easily
romanticized icons, and the family
farm has not been spared. ... It has
been hijacked as an excuse to betray
America's free-market values and
hurt developing countries."
The Web site www.
sustainabletable.org uses the ideology of the family farm in efforts
against corporate agriculture: "Perhaps most importantly, family farmers serve as responsible stewards of
the land. Unlike industrial agriculture
operations, which contaminate communities with chemical pesticides,
noxious fumes and excess manure,
small family farmers strive to preserve the surrounding environment
for future generations."
"The family farm is like apple
pie, it's hard to argue against," Allen
says. "The family farm is what made
America great."
Local food
Local food is a branch of sustainability. It is the idea of buying and

12 FSI

FOOD SYSTEMS

ınsıder

'picked this week somewhere in the
general vicinity,'" Jolley says. "It
could be the same kind of wrappedin-plastic tomato you get year-round
at the supermarket."

USDA

scare term, depending on the context. Well, given the sentences and
phrases that precede the phrase, it
reads like a scare term here."

Consumers often view local food as
more than the location of the farm,
but also as a safer, more sustainable
product.

living off local products when possible. This can mean shopping at local
farmers' markets or buying from a
roadside stand.
Buying locally is a growing
consumer trend. In August, a group
of women declared themselves
"locavores" and ate only what could
be produced within 100 miles of their
homes in San Francisco. Local products are often thought of by consumers to be safer and grown using
fewer chemicals and better animaltreatment practices.
"It's supposed to mean fresh,
just-harvested-an-hour-ago and
rushed to the farmers' market located less than 20 miles away," Jolley
says, "probably by the freckle-faced
kids running the family farm."
An article in the Indiana Star
Press discussed the possibility of a
college campus offering local foods
in its cafeterias. The banquet and
catering sales and service supervisor
was quoted as saying, "And because
the food would be local, there's no
doubt it would be better ... It'd taste
like real food."
"In reality, a close definition is

SEPTEMBER 2005

Organic and natural
Some consumers see organic as
meaning "better for you," and they
are willing to pay higher prices for
organic foods. A piece from The
Palm Beach Post quotes the executive director of Florida Certified
Organic Growers and Consumers Inc.
as saying, "For most consumers, buying organic foods - those produced
without the use of synthetic chemicals, antibiotics and hormones - is
all about health."
"Consumers think of it as free
of risk," Allen says, "whereas it could
be just smaller concentrations of
chemicals. The implication of 'organic' is healthier and more natural."
Natural products are those
that contain no artificial ingredients,
coloring ingredients or chemical
preservatives, and are minimally processed. Natural meats are often
considered to be grass-fed and use
no growth hormones.
"Both (organic and natural)
have been so overused and interchangeable in the public eye that
they have little real value other than
to evoke a marketing image of
something more wholesome than
what can be produced on a factory
farm," Jolley says.
These examples aren't as
extreme as England's "couch potato"
conundrum, but the misuse and
misinterpretation of these words is a
battle that those in the agriculture
industry must face. It's important to
realize how these words are being
used by consumers, activists and the
media, and to know how to clarify
their true, original meanings. ■
By Laura Schafer
Food Systems Insider

http://www.sustainabletable.org

Meat + Poultry - September 2005

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