A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 5, 2003 Campaign Promotes Locally Grown Food (Continued from Page A 1) would seem, are yearning to find each other. They are like two highway crews tunneling through a mountain from opposite sides. The mountain in this illustration represents all the complexities of today’s marketplace, including issues of processing, transporta tion, marketing, and government regulation of the food supply chain. What they need in order to succeed is some kind of naviga tion system to guide their efforts. Such a navigation system is be coming available in southeast Pennsylvania, with promise for other regions of the state in com ing years. Recently in downtown Phila delphia, the Pennsylvania Associ ation for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and its partners, the Philadelphia Fair Food Project and Farm to City, unveiled a campaign called “Buy Fresh/Buy Local” that will aim to connect Cheryl Cook, deputy sec retary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, addresses the gathering of local food enthusiasts. Cooperative UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Penn State Cooperative Extension is gearing up to assist in the state’s homeland security system. “Cooperative extension is uniquely positioned to respond to emergencies,” says David Filson, director of Penn State Coopera tive Extension’s South Central Region. Filson recently accepted additional duties coordinating the organization’s statewide emergency response efforts. “We have a network of educat ors around the state, with an of fice in every county,” Filson says. “We also have a communications system including a statewide computer network and satellite downlink facilities in nearly every county that gives us the capacity to send and receive in formation very quickly. But with the added threat of terrorist at tacks against our farms, food sys tem and water supplies, we felt the need to enhance our emer- Aqua-Therm Outside Wood Burning Furnace L | ns - Clean - Safe Buy the top of the line! •Stainless Steel Fire Box *Ash Removal Auger *l5 Year Warranty •Thermostatically Controlled Heat your house, shop and/or hot water with one unit Email: mkpowell@paonllne.com farmers and consumers through a network of farmers’ markets, restaurants, caterers, and other market venues, focusing specif ically on Philadelphia for this first stage of the campaign. “Philadelphia is an exciting city for food,” noted Bridget Croke of the Philadelphia Fair Food Project. “Restaurants par ticipating in the Buy Fresh/Buy Local campaign make special dishes featuring locally raised in gredients. For instance, Django Gypsy Caf serves a delicious At lantic Bluefish and creamy mush room polenta made with locally grown black forest mushrooms, and a smoked tomato broth made with locally grown tomatoes and bacon made from locally raised pork.” What is local food? The cam paign focuses on Pennsylvania food grown within a 75-mile radi us of Philadelphia, reaching as far as the areas around Lancas ter, Reading, and Allentown. “We are blessed to have a tre mendous variety of farm-fresh products available from south eastern Pennsylvania,” says Bob Pierson, Queen Village resident and manager of Farm to City farmers’ markets in seven Phila delphia communities. “The farm ers’ markets in Philadelphia sell everything from strawberries, to matoes and sweet com, to natu rally raised beef, aged cheeses, lo cally made breads, and mouthwatering BBQ chicken and ribs cooked right at the markets.” By next year, staff members at PASA hope to expand this effort to a growing network of market venues throughout the target re gion, and to make materials available to individual farmers in southeast Pennsylvania who wish to label their products as locally grown. A similar program may Extension Gears Up To Assist In Homeland Security gency preparedness and response capabilities,” he says. As a result, emergency re sponse contacts have been named in every county extension office and in each of extension’s eight regions. A task force of Penn State fac ulty and extension specialists also has been assembled to lend ex pertise in response to a wide vari ety of potential emergencies. “Extension is a key partner in local and statewide emergency planning,” Filson says. “In the event of a natural or manmade emergency, the county emergen cy management office would set the wheels in motion. Relevant state and federal agencies such as the Pennsyl vania and U.S. agriculture de partments, the state health de partment, state emergency management agency, state de partment of environmental pro tection, and others would be - Easy - Efficient Paul B. Zlmmirman Inc., BOWoodcorner Rd Ephrata PA Holtwood Supply, 1010 Susquehannock Dr Holtwood PA AB Martin Rooting, 150 Slate Rd Ephrata PA Zimmerman Farm Service, Bethel pa 0 ft J Farm store, Hess Rd Quarryville PA Huber’s Animal Health, Myersiown pa Umbergers el Fontana, ri 322 Annviiie pa Rovendale Ag. Waisomown pa Valley Road Hardware, Christiana pa Terra Hill Farm Supply, 1350 Union Grove Rd Terre Hill PA Cedar Grove Farm Store, 1120 Bittner Hwy stnppensburg pa be launched to promote farm products in southwestern Penn sylvania by next year as well. “Our aim is to eventually make sure that consumers anywhere in the commonwealth have a reli able method of identifying farm fresh products grown in their re gion by farmers who would wel come their customers to the farm” explained Ruth Sullivan, PASA’s director of southeast pro grams. In fact, the Buy Fresh/Buy Local Campaign in Pennsylvania is part of an even larger, nation wide Buy Local Initiative organ ized by Foodßoutes Network (Foodßoutes), a nonprofit organ ization based in Centre County (Millheim) that provides techni cal support to community-based groups working to strengthen re gional markets for locally grown foods. Foodßoutes provides com munications tools, networking opportunities, and information resources to organizations work ing to rebuild local food systems across the country. “People everywhere are at tracted to this issue regardless of whether they seek out local food for reasons of personal health, support for family farmers, con cern for the environment, to strengthen their local economy, or simply because local food tastes better. Food has the power to unite and reconnect people in a way that gives this movement unique potential” said Joani Walsh, program coordinator for Foodßoutes. A party to celebrate the launch of the southeastern Pennsylvania Buy Fresh/Buy Local campaign was held June 15, Father’s Day, at Yard’s Brewing Company in Philadelphia and was attended by 130 local food enthusiasts. Fare for the day included a If the emergency involves an attack or other event that affects the food system, for instance, co operative extension would be called in quickly to provide in formation and assist with com munication. “Depending on the need, that information and expertise can cover a range of agricultural and consumer issues, including farm biosecurity, plant and animal Big Y Launches Certified Hereford Beef SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Big Y has announced that they are now the exclusive New England retailer for Certified Hereford Beef steaks and roasts that are cut fresh daily in each store. Big Y World Class Markets will carry over 85 cuts of Certified Hereford Beef such as tenderloins, sirloins, rib eyes, and lon- don broils. ‘We pride ourselves in offering our shoppers the very best possible products, and are excited to intro- FIBERGLASS FARM GATES intact Dealer Ni David S. King Manufacturer of Church Bench folding hinges. 873 S. Railroad SI Myerstown, PA 17067 717-866-6556 iar You: 717-738-7350 717-264-0803 717-445-6085 717-933-4114 717-866-2248 717-867-5181 570-538-9664 610-593-7285 717-445-6885 717-532-7571 These two fans of local food seem to express concern for where their next meal is coming from. roasted pig from Country Time Pork in Berks County, as well as a variety of other foods, including zucchini and eggs from Green Meadow farm, cheese from Farm Fresh for Chefs (both Lancaster County), and a variety of breads and beverages produced in the southwest region. A featured speaker attending the event was Cheryl Cook, re cently appointed deputy secre tary of the Pennsylvania Depart ment of Agriculture (PDA), who brought greetings .from Secretary Dennis Wblff. Cook made cleat health, risk management, food safety and human health, and family and household manage ment,” he adds. Penn State Cooperative Exten sion also offers a wealth of publi cations, fact sheets and Web sites that cover a wide variety of emer gency-related topics. In addition, resources are shared and distributed nation wide through the Extension Dis- duce our new line of Big Y Certi fied Hereford Beef,” said Scott Ruth, Big Y Vice President of Meat and Specialty Departments. “We’re confident our customers will agree this is the most flavor ful, juicy, tender beef they’ve ever tasted.” DS is Distributor for: SUPER CHIMNEY 2100 and SUPELRRBQ FACTORY iUILT CHIMNEY Stainless Steel Chimney Systems Super Pro 2100 Chimney Features 25 Year Warranty D.S. Machine Shop Stoves SC Chimneys 2388 Old Leacock Rd., Gordonville, PA 17529 717-768-3853 the department’s intention to support the promotion of Penn sylvania-grown products on a local basis as a priority in the fu ture. Cook explained PDA’s plans to implement a “Pennsyl vania Preferred” label that can be used in a complimentary way with other marketing materials more locally based. With the Buy Fresh/Buy Local campaign, a new era of mutual appreciation and benefit between Pennsylvania family farmers and consumers may indeed have begun. aster Education Network, with extension systems at most land grant universities participating. Meanwhile, Filson will be over seeing disaster-related training and coordination for Penn State Cooperative Extension so that staff throughout the organization understand their roles and are ready to respond if and when they are needed. The only major American owned and largest family-owned and operated supermarket in the region, Big Y employs over 8,300 people in its 50. locations throughout central and western Massachusetts and Connecticut. A DS/316 Stainless Chimney Liners Also Available Nippenose Stove & Chimney Rt. 3, Box 367 Williamsport, PA 17701 570-745-2391
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers