Got another wonderful email from Willie Nelson last week . . .
I really love and appreciate the work Willie Nelson is doing with Farm Aid and the letter he wrote to our new president-elect, Barack Obama, which beautifully articulates the need to pay attention to family farmers. While there are so many urgent issues looming and competing for airspace for our new president, I can’t agree with Willie more that support of family and smaller local/regional farm systems can be part of the solution for many of the challenges that plague our country.
Family farms and regional farming systems help reduce the food production carbon footprint in so many ways, not the least of which is that it travels less of a distance if it is supporting a defined regional area.
If you visit your local farm stands and farmer’s markets and have ever belonged to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, you have come to respect if not love your local farmers - and for good reason!
Thank you Willie for continuing to make noise (and great music) on this issue!
Willie’s letter . . .
Dear President-elect Barack Obama,
As President of Farm Aid, I’d like to take this opportunity to whole-heartedly congratulate you on your historic victory. I’d also like to offer you every resource that Farm Aid has available to assist you in creating a new farm and food policy that supports a sustainable family farm system of agriculture.
I started Farm Aid in 1985 when family farmers were being forced off their land as a result of federal policy that paved the way for industrial agriculture. This shift replaced independent family farmers with factory farms that have wreaked havoc on our communities, our environment and our public health.
There is broad agreement that our farm and food system needs to be drastically reworked…
Thank you Willie and thank you Mr. President-Elect!
eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg
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