Welcome to all of you who signed up for my newsletter service.
For over three years now, I’ve delivered relevant and original content on Food, Farming and the Environment. I thought it’s time to bring everything together into an over-arching concept that I call the Food Farm Value Chain.
What does that mean, you may ask?
Simply, it’s discovering unseen value in the food chain from supplier to grower, and eventually from retailer to consumer. This concept is based on a few core principles:
THE END OF EITHER OR
In a blog post from 2010, I set the tone for an approach that reduces polarity. We won’t be able to farm and feed the world with one set of principles. We need a combination of small organic and large-scale industrial farms, with many types of operations in between.
I’ve worked on and visited all types of farms from small grass-fed animal operations to doing research on large California almond farms. I grew my own broccoli crop in Virginia and consulted on a farm in Moldova. I can say with experience that each farm is unique.
HOW TO DEFINE FOOD
On this blog, I’ll offer simple approaches that will shift your way of thinking. I’ve done this in a blog post from 2010 by defining food as species. Fats, sugars, proteins, vitamins and minerals are all important for our health but, to really make an attempt at discovering the Food Farm Value Chain – we’ll need a paradigm shift in the way that consumers connect.
It’s fun to see the world through the food that we buy and eat. I’ve done a little traveling and visited markets in Holland, France and Hong Kong. An example of a glimpse into the Food Farm Value Chain is by seeing how grapes are grown and sold. Try thinking about your food as unique plants and animals – you might discover a rich, new world.
PURE SCIENCE
Curiosity and a global view of the world lead you and I to seek truths and often this pursuit is rooted in an appreciation for science. I always try to have my basis covered – whether it’s making a video on how trees on farms absorb carbon dioxide or sharing a perspective on the use of genetically-modified crops.
In the near future, you can expect I’ll share more about growing food and climate change. How does food production contribute to greenhouse gas emissions? Can farming systems be a net greenhouse gas sink? How does land management compare with nature?
Lastly, it’s you that can decide where this blog will go. I’m simply humbled by the opportunity to share my experience in a pursuit to enrich yours.
What would you like to read about within the Food Farm Value Chain?
I encourage you to leave your comments in the section below.
