Sustainable futures
Local Farming Weaves Healthy Communities Together
By Wib Middleton
Creating a culture of peace in any community is a lot like weaving a tapestry of distinct yet interdependent threads. One of those critical threads is the food we eat, which has the potential to help lead people to a greater state of harmony with the environment and connectedness to each other. Unfortunately most people today do not have the time, space or inclination to plant and care for a vegetable garden, and convenience habituates us to selecting less than healthy pre-packaged items available in the supermarket. There is, however, a way to take us back to a time when our parents and grandparents had a direct connection to the food they purchased. It’ s the everpopular farmers market, and if we are fortunate enough to have access to one we can develop a whole new relationship with the food we eat, the growers we buy from, and with each other.
According to Katrin Themlitz, founder and director of the Sedona Community Farmers Market, buying produce from local growers satisfies many internal drives in us. We want to take more responsibility for knowing where our food comes from, how it is grown, ensuring its health value, and supporting local growers as a personal economic choice. Katrin, who has been heroically helping local growers bring their product to market and educating consumers on the benefits of locally grown produce has been a tireless advocate and activist for over seven years. Katrin’ s passion for nutritious food actually has roots that go back three centuries. Her family was connected to a large farming operation of about 1,000 acres located in Prussia where they raised crops and prize-winning cattle. They could trace their ties to the land back more than 300 years ago.“ My grandfather was a Professor of Agriculture and a practitioner of sustainable holistic farming methods. He was outspoken and saw into the future when he warned the government against the harmful effects of long-term use of inorganic fertilizers in soil. I feel the Sedona Farmer’ s Market has brought me full circle as I remember the wisdom and love of my ancestors,” Katrin reflects.
According to the Farmers Market Coalition, by the beginning of 2016, there were more than 8,500 farmers markets in the U. S.— that is 50 percent more than just five years ago. As these markets become more established, they offer more services and benefits to their communities.( Source: farmersmarketcoalition. org / news)
In the greater Sedona and Verde Valley area, the largest farm is only 25 acres, and many are just a few acres. They supply farmers markets in the area, local restaurants and flourishing community sponsored agriculture programs where members buy a share for the growing season and receive produce from that farmer on a weekly
32 IMAGINE l FALL 2016