... connecting local food with local folks
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Organic Produce Better for Your Family? Health benefits lead the list of reasons for putting organic food on your table. The EPA currently considers 60 percent of all pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) as potential carcinogens. Because pesticides linger in the environment long after application, there's no guarantee that organic foods are totally pesticide-free. However, a 1998 Consumer Reports study concluded, "Our side-by-side tests of organic, green-labelled and conventional unlabelled produce found that organic foods had consistently minimal or non-existant pesticide residue." This reduced exposure to pesticides is especially important for children. Why? Because there's growing evidence that, due to their rapidly-developing nervous systems, children are extremely sensitive to the effects of pesticides. The benefits of organic foods go beyond avoiding "bad stuff." There's also evidence that there's more "good stuff" in organic produce. A review of 41 published studies concluded that on average there are significantly more of several nutrients in organic crops. These include: 27% more vitamin C, 21.2% more iron, 29.3% more magnesisum and 13.6% more phosphours. In addition, organic products had 15.1% fewer nitrates than their conventional counterparts. So organic produce is better for your family both because it minimizes your exposure to potentially carcinogenic pesticides and because it helps you get more of the vitamins and minerals you and your family need to stay healthy. Why is it Important to Buy Locally-Grown Produce? Here are just a few good reasons it's important to buy local: Local food is fresh food. Most of our produce was picked within the last 24 hours...some of it was picked early this morning! It's incredibly crisp and loaded with flavor. Our meat and dairy products are also extremely fresh. Studies suggest that, on average, conventionally-grown produce travels 1,500 miles to get to market, over a period as long as two weeks. Think of how much a bouquet of flowers changes in the two weeks after you pick it and you'll have some idea of local produce's freshness advantage. Local food adds variety to your diet. Our farms grow a huge variety of produce to provide a long season of harvest, an array of eye-catching colors, and an enthralling diversity of flavors. As an example, our 2003 Tomato Festival featured over 150 different kinds of tomatoes! In contrast, plant varieties at modern industrial farms are chosen for their ability to ripen uniformly, to withstand mechanized harvesting, to survive packing and to have a long shelf-life. Only a limited number of hybrid varieties can stand up to this rigorous processing...and all too often that means your dinner table choices are very limited. Local food supports local families. The wholesale prices that farmers get for their products are low, often near the cost of production. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get a fair price for their food. This helps farm families stay on the land. It just feels better. There's a unique kind of assurance that comes from looking a farmer in the eye and finding out first-hand just what went into growing and harvesting the produce you've bought. Local farmers are totally accountable for what they grow and they take their responsibility to the consumer very seriously. Local food builds community. When you buy direct from a farmer, you're engaging in a time-honored connection between eater and grower, between urban and rural. In addition, FCMB provides a strong new center to the Brookside community, a place to renew old friendships and build new ones. Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid a fair price for their products by marketing locally, they're less likely to sell farmland for development. When you buy locally grown food, you're doing something proactive to preserve our agricultural landscape and heritage. Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms conserve fertile soil and clean water in our communities. The small farm environment is a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife. Why Does Locally-Grown, Organic Produce Cost More? Like anything fine and hand-crafted, producing fine food the old-fashioned way costs more than factory-style production. Because small-scale farmers buy seed and supplies in small quanities they don't benefit from volume discounts. The flavorful varieties our farmers grow often have a very short shelf-life. Our farmers don't benefit from farm subsidies and other government programs and their operations aren't large enough to qualify for crop insurance. If their crops are ruined by hail, heat or heavy rains their investment in that crop is simply gone. Finally, our farmers try to make a fair, living wage for themselves and they pay their employees a fair wage. In the same way you would expect to pay more for a hand-crafted wooden table than for a molded plastic one, you're asked to pay more for hand-crafted fine food than you would for mass-produced food. How Can I Learn More About the Benefits of Local, Organic Produce? Our farmers are one of the best resources for learning more about the variety and uses of the produce you'll find here at the market. Catch them in a quiet moment and they'll be glad to introduce you to new varieties of produce and to new ways of preparing your old favorites. To learn more about the broader benefits of local, organic produce, try visiting the websites listed below. They provided much of the source material for this brochure and are a great place to start:
How Does the Market Benefit Border Star School? Every week the market donates a portion of vendor fees to the market host, Border Star PTA. Last summer's donation totalled $430. In 2004, several FCMB farmers partnered with the Border Star faculty to provide students with hands-on gardening and farm experiences. This year several activities are planned to strengthen the connection between our Farmers, the Brookside community and Border Star School. How Does the Market Benefit Brookside? In just one year, the Farmers' Community Market at Brookside has become a regular Saturday morning destination for many Brooksiders. It's a place to buy great produce, run into old friends and make new ones. The market is also a destination for shoppers from Blue Hills, Mission Hills, Johnson County, North Kansas City, Raytown, Waldo and Westport. These folks come to Brookside for the market, but often they stay in the neighborhood to do their other Saturday morning errands. Who do I contact for more information? We welcome any further questions you may have. Just Email for more information |