Relationships Between Rural and Urban

Modern American agriculture has done everything possible to build barriers between producers and consumers, or between rural and urban. Conventional farmers erect “No Trespassing’ signs because their animals are so fragile that they are paranoid of disease. Meanwhile consumers are increasingly distanced from their food source. The result is both sides move further and further into misunderstanding, animosity and mistrust. Because farmers have voluntarily withdrawn from the marketplace (remember when farmers peddled hams, eggs, dairy, and fresh chicken down Main Street?) we have created an illiterate consuming populace.

As a matter of fact, only fifty years ago most people – even in urban settings – knew where their food came from and the most foods were locally grown. Today many consumers are increasingly ignorant and suspicious of their food supply. And deservedly suspicious in light of the many food bacteria outbreaks and recalls in recent years. That suspicion is tragic, and shouldn’t exist. The misunderstanding, distrust, and paranoia – on both the part of producers and consumers – is a terrible thing for our culture to have. However, the kind of linkage, or relationship necessary to solve these problems does not occur from mega-business, centralized producers. Nothing fosters corner-cutting and inappropriate procedures like the absence of careful scrutiny -- the relationship – with the end user. Both the producer and consumer benefit in the direct-to-consumer marketplace. The producer wins by being able to sell his product at retail prices to a loyal clientele that cares about him. And the consumer wins because nothing encourages integrity like close ties.

Quote worth re-quoting...

“Change almost never fails because it’s too early. It almost always fails because it’s too late.”

– Seth Godin