“Transformational.”  That is how one person—a self-described skeptic—expressed his take on the Slow Food First Coast Tour de Farm held last Sunday across Northeast Florida.  For the first time ever, 24 of our region’s small family farms and artisanal food producers opened their doors simultaneously to the public and you responded.  Thousands of citizens descended on the venues to feast, frolic, and learn about a traditional way of life that is fast disappearing.

You drove.  You pedaled.  A few festive groups got there by charter bus.  And a couple of intrepid folks even arrived by boat.  At every venue, city slickers rubbed elbows with country folk, jostling in line for samples of sorbet, pulled pork, gourmet salads, and goat cheese.  I have never seen so many people delighted by freshly picked Brussels sprouts!  Kids of all ages came from near and far to pick strawberries and pull potatoes.  Who knew?

This day was made possible by the small family farmers that toil their soil, by the beekeepers that tend their hives, and by the cattle ranchers that care for their herds.  It was a success because of the countless laborers that plant and harvest our cabbage and lettuce and the artisans that skillfully transform grapes into wine. 

 But this day would also not be possible without the support of all those that flocked to the two dozen venues in search of our region’s bounty.  One person told me, “It had the quality of a brand new romance:  the city people were delighted to drive around and see where their food came from and were charmed by these small family farms and the farmers were bewildered but delighted by the attention.  It was like they finally found each other!”  It was a match made on the green pastures of heaven.

But supporting local farms is not just about the fleeting “romance” of the moment, nor should this be a one day love affair.  Farmers need our support daily just as we need their food to nourish us day in and day out.  When you purchase local foods you are preserving a way of life.  You are supporting a family in our community, rather than a faceless corporation headquartered far away.  The dollars you spend on local foods are re-spent and reinvested in our own community.  They allow farmers to maintain open spaces and wildlife habitat and contribute to the conservation of wetlands and aquatic systems.  And since the average meal in America travels nearly 1,500 miles from farm to plate, local foods help reduce the amount of fossil fuels it takes to transport our calories and can lead to a significant reduction in the pollution associated with said transport.

Time and time again, our broken food system has posed grave danger to the American consumer.  Recalls of beef tainted with E. coli and peanuts processed with a touch of salmonella are the legacy of modern industrial agriculture.  But the tide is turning and consumers now have the choice to ask questions about where their food comes from and how it was produced.   Get to know your local farmer and find out what you are feeding yourself and your children.  When you look into your farmer’s eyes as he tells you that he grew his collards organically and his cattle are grass-fed, appreciate what that means.  The extra effort it took them to produce your next meal sustainably means you will be happier and healthier for it.  And it just might ensure that those small family farmers right here in North Florida will be feeding your children’s children too.  To learn more about how you can continue to support small family farms in our region, visit www.slowfoodfirstcoast.com. 

Special thanks to the farmers, artisans, chefs, sponsors, and volunteers who participated in the Tour de Farm and, in particular, to Slow Food First Coast Board members Marcia Macpherson and Mimi Ianuzzi and webmaster Kari Beauchamp for spearheading this event and spending countless hours on the road, on the phone, and on the farm to make it an overwhelming success.  We are all forever indebted.