Comments for the
Farm Bill Forum
Congressmen Earl Blumenauer
(Oregon) and Sam Farr (California) February 10th, 2007,
in Portland, Oregon
This forum highlights
the Pacific Northwest’s keen interest
in the regional foodshed and how an improved Farm Bill can add
value to the many efforts to connect the sources of our food to
the people who purchase, prepare and eat it. This legislation has
the opportunity to support the creation of public markets—which
are permanent facilities dedicated to that gastronomic and economic
connection—in addition to the many seasonal farmers markets
and other venues that fulfill similar missions.
Defining a
Public Market: A daily, indoor, year-round
food market that showcases the region’s
bounty with merchants representing the area’s diverse and
authentic products and people: fresh produce, flowers, meats,
seafood, cheese, prepared foods, bakeries,
cafes, and multi-lingual education programs all operated by locally
owned vendors who reflect the true complexion of the community.
Research into the feasibility
of a Portland Public Market clearly indicates the positive impact
that public markets can have
in supporting retail sales of local products. This includes
seasonal
fruit and
vegetable growers but extends beyond to the omni-seasonal
fisheries, cheese makers, beef, pork, poultry, lamb and game
producers.
Daily, year-round markets also provide enhanced sales opportunities
for
entrepreneurs focusing on value-added products such as beer,
wines, nut spreads and oils, fruit syrups, preserves, and
many types of
prepared foods found in bakeries, cafes and delicatessens.
The continuum of support
for local agriculture extends from U-pick fields and orchards
to farm stands, CSAs, Farmers
Markets, Public
Markets and supermarkets selling locally sourced foods.
Each link in this chain is important, and legislation to
reform
agricultural support should understand how to respond appropriately
to the
scale
and needs of these different venues for producer-direct
sales. Smaller producers may rely on seasonal sales on
their own property
or through temporary markets to augment significantly their
profitability. Other, larger operations may find that episodic
exposure only
one or two days a week is not enough to enhance their bottom
lines;
they require the urban purchasing power of a permanent
facility that could add volume and value to their considerable
efforts.
Contrary to popular
rhetoric, the Pacific Northwest does not have a true regional
cuisine; it’s the cornucopia of world-class
ingredients that sets Cascadia apart from other areas
of the country. Imagine Tex-Mex or Cajun cooking and you can
easily visualize distinct
styles of preparation. Not so with foods here. The ingredients
alone define our cuisine, a phenomenon that allows for
a timelessness of regional products and ever-changing inventions
for showcasing
them. That’s why federal support for a broad range
of the bounty from this area is crucial; this extends
from mainstream
products (berries, orchard fruits and vegetables) to
underdog categories
(root vegetables, wild mushrooms and truffles).
Urban Opportunities
for Oregon Agriculture: Better Nutrition
The availability of
high quality, locally sourced foods will not by itself guarantee
improved nutrition.
Without culturally
specific
education programs that tie indigenous ingredients
to ethnically familiar preparation techniques, the links
will remain
tenuous. Vibrant urban Farmers and Public Markets
create remarkable
opportunities for cooking and nutrition education,
but they must go beyond
spotlighting local restaurant luminaries to be effective.
Ongoing classes that
emphasize everyday food culture and preparation for
the majority and minority populations should be central to
the urban market
experience. Market-oriented education programs must
expand to include schools, community centers, social service
agencies and
houses
of worship in order to extend the reach and effectiveness
of their education programs. From pre-school to the
adult
homeless,
a full
range of affordable and practical programs must form
the core of the education component.
Urban Opportunities
for Oregon Agriculture: Revitalizing Communities
History is on the side
of Markets aiding and abetting community development. Portland’s
own market history, from its founding in the mid-1800s, was the
story of rural food products making their
way to the urban center via river, plank road and later by every
modern form of transport. Once established, Portland developed
a sophisticated network of permanent and temporary markets that
connected rural producers with urban consumers, but along the
way also sparked the creation of vital market districts. Whether
it
was Ankeny Square with the New Market and Theater Building (1872),
or the ribbon of hundreds of vendors lining SW Yamhill Street
(1890s-1930s), or the sea wall Public Market (1933-41), each
Public Market in
its time clearly defined a part of the city and catalyzed development
in the surrounding area. Similarly, the contemporary network
of Farmers Markets has contributed to increased commercial and
economic
activity in nearby businesses, especially on market days, while
creating incomparable public spaces where friends, neighbors
and visitors all feel comfortable in gathering. Yes, Portland is blessed
by the quality of its regional foods and the appreciative culture
that this bounty has spawned.
But, the
regional food shed can not take this good fortune for granted;
threats and challenges abound. Recent changes in land use laws,
economic pressures impacting local agriculture, climate change,
and current federal support policies that, speaking charitably,
go beyond benign neglect all contribute to a fragile equilibrium.
Without significant policy changes that acknowledge and fund
regional food systems, this food- shed may soon qualify
as the agricultural
equivalent of an endangered species.
Respectfully,
Ron Paul, Consulting
Director
The Historic Portland Public Market Foundation
P. O. Box 511
Portland, Oregon 97207 |
