Periodically, I have written about food and the influence of being a locavore, both here and at the Morgan Hill Times... my local community newspaper. The May 11 Issue of High Country News carries an article by Carla A. Wise that talks of the transformation of part of Oregon's Willamette Valley into sustainably operated farming operations. It is called the Southern Willamette Valley Bean and Grain Project.
Wise writes of "pioneering experiments" as part of a 9.000 acre operation that had previously been almost totally used for producing grass seed and of a 15 acre organic farm, both involved in creating change.
There are two key elements which are not often talked about. But which do show up in concluding line of this article.
MacCormack [owner of the organic farm] says the main obstacles remain mind-set and infrastructure. And, he says, those are obstacles that can be overcome.
It seems to me that Greens are in the right position to take advantage of a changing mind set. The Beans and Grain Project was fortunate to have a sponsor in Hummingbird Wholesale, an organic food distributor. Not all project can start with that in place. Still, it is one of the necessary ingredients of a decentralized, community based economy... a truly green economy.
Greens can also be a major force in changing people's mindset. Isn't that one of the reasons why we exists as a political party? I think that change is coming over rural America and Greens should be leading the way. The Beans and Grain Project is the anti-dote to CONAGRA, ADM and Cargill.
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