President Bush Suggests Buying Local Food
to Help with Food Scarcity

From Today's Rose Garden Speech.President Bush Said.
 
"We are deeply concerned about food prices here at home"
 
"Creative policy is to Buy food from local farmers"

New York City-April 29, 2008-Sustainable Table fully supports the creative solution suggested today by President Bush to buy food from local farmers as a means for communities to be more self sustaining.  The nonprofit program adds that purchasing sustainably-raised local food is the best option for all Americans.
 
"Sustainable Table agrees with President Bush's statement made today that large subsidies to multimillionaire farmers should be cut," said Diane Hatz, Founder/Director of Sustainable Table.  "We also think people should buy locally grown, sustainably produced food from small family farmers because it can save people money since it does not have to be shipped long distances, and saves consumers the added costs of transportation, which has helped make the price of food skyrocket because of the rising costs of oil and energy."
 
Hatz also offered other benefits to eating locally:
 
>Better tasting food -There's less time from the field to your dinner plate, meaning the food is fresher and is picked when ripe.

>Supports local communities - Money spent on local food is put back into the community.  For example, the farmer you buy your tomatoes from will then go to the local diner, barber, hardware store, and put that money back into the local community, thus helping to strengthen the local economy

>Helps save family farms - According to Farm Aid, every week 330 farmers leave their land.  By purchasing local food, you'll be supporting local farmers, thus helping them stay in business.
 
Today's industrial form of agriculture is funded by tax payer subsidies which can push small, family farmers out of business and pollute the environment.  That's why it is better for people to purchase foods grown locally, on sustainable family farms or at farmers markets.
 
Spring is here, and more and more farmers markets are sprouting up in communities across America.  One way to support local farmers and save money is to go to farmers markets to purchase as much locally grown, sustainably produced food as possible.  The Eat Well Guide, a project of Sustainable Table, can help direct you to farmers markets in your area, as well as farms, stores, restaurants, and other outlets where you can purchase locally grown foods.
 
If you'd like to know what foods are in season in your area, visit Sustainable Table's Eat Seasonal page.
 
And look to Sustainable Kitchen to find recipes that you can pair with food you might find at your neighborhood farmers markets.
 
Sustainable Table is a New York based non-profit group that celebrates the sustainable food movement, educates consumers on food related issues, and works to build community through food.
 
www.SustainableTable.org