The Importance of Local Food

On Thursday, our class visited Warren Farm near the Lee traffic circle on Rt. 4.  We were given a great opportunity to learn about some of the rich local farm history that 3rd generation farmer Randy Warren had to share.  He had so much to offer, and I really gained a deeper understanding of the surrounding land by learning how it has changed over time.  I was impressed to hear about how much time he has devoted to making his land a pristine habitat for a wide variety of species, and most notably the presence of indicator species which suggest the overall health of his land from an ecological diversity standpoint.  He also stressed the importance of local food, and reminded us to question labels like "organic" because meanings may change depending on whose standards are being used.  In order to avoid confusion, I prefer to stick with local foods when I can much in the same way that Randy does.  I find that not only is it much better for the environment, but the food I get is often of higher quality and of course, fresher.

Below is a photo of Warren Farm, a section that was leveled by Randy and his son this past winter.  He is hoping that this area can be re-used once the debris is consolidated into piles and some space clears up.  It was amazing to see his understanding of the natural succession of land, and to have a perfect example of this laid out in front of us on his farm.  Each section of land was in a different stage of forest succession, which allows for diverse and plentiful wildlife.

We each purchased produce and/or soaps from the farmstead on our way out, and I walked away with an even greater appreciation for the surrounding land.  Betsey offered us some good tools in exploring food classification with terms like "organic" and how this can mean different things in different places.  I like how we used the internet for this, because a lot of learning (especially younger generations) is moving in this direction and we will all need to use this method to varying degrees in our careers.  It's a way to allow students to be somewhat self-directed, but the goal is clear and defined enough so that they keep their focus.  This was very effective in helping us find some interesting information on America's food classification.

Over the weekend, I tried to dive deeper into this local foods venture, and I did not stop at produce.  Living on the Seacoast, what better source of fresh protein is there than seafood?  I have always seen the Marconi family lobster business, marked by the hundreds of lobster pots piled up on their waterfront property near the 2nd causeway on New Castle island.  I have often wondered where to buy their lobsters, and once I even wondered whether I could get a job with them harvesting the delicious sea critters.  I went to McKinnon's, which is a locally owned grocery store that has a great selection local meat, local and not-so-local seafood.  I am a big fan of their King Crab Legs because they are usually very reasonably priced there, but I immediately was drawn to the lobster tank because they were Bill Marconi lobsters!  Finally, I was try some of this local family's lobster.  And it was excellent!  At $3.99/lb, I bought a few lobsters and my visiting family was able to enjoy some of this local delicacy.  Knowing that this seafood was harvested sustainably under the relatively stringent fishing laws of New Hampshire was reassuring as we indulged in the classic New England summer dish.  Distance from my apartment to where lobster was harvested

I then remembered that I had 2 massive striped bass fillets in my freezer, which came from one incredibly large (40 inch) bass I caught last week.

This fish was caught recreationally, and I know that the boat I was on was far under its quota/maximum for the day.  I have kept every edible part, including two very large fillets.  I gave one to my family and they cooked it today for some friends at a barbeque.  It fed 8 people, and I still have the other fillet.  This is from one fish, and it will likely end up feeding 16+ people.  I did some research, and a striped bass this size is about 13 years of age, and it has been spawning for 6-9 years.  I hope that it produced many offspring in that time, as the striped bass population continues to grow back in astonishing numbers since the sharp decline about 25 years ago.

I also purchased a root beer at the store that was made in Portland, Maine.  Although this is about 50 miles away from where I live, I do not know of any root beers produced locally.  It actually turned out to be the best root beer I have ever had!  It is brewed by Maine Root handcrafted sodas, and the flavor is "Sarsaparilla" (one of the many spellings).  It has a stronger root flavor and more subtle spices than their original root beer, and tastes more like the actual root than any other root beer I've had. http://maineroot.com/

The lobster from with Warren Farm's garlic, garlic scapes, sugar snap peas, and root beer made a delicious local meal, in both culture and actual origin of the ingredients.  All of these things were purchased at a very low cost and were purchased very close to my home or as part of my daily travel.  I hope that I can continue with these practices and learn more as I experiment and explore the local food market.  My goal is to be able to teach people about local foods, both farm-to-table and "wild-to-table."  I feel as though people's lives are changed when they can personally experience the natural cycle of their food in this way, start-to-finish, cradle-to-grave.  Randy Warren has been a great inspiration in his display of this philosophy, both with his crops and with his land management.  The land needs an endless cycle of life and death to be productive, no matter how you define its productivity.  The more deeply I explore, the more this theme appears as it becomes a key value to my philosophy.