Nobody else is going to fix the problem. It’s CommunityDIY time!

We Need to Work from the Ground Up: Grow the Grass Roots

Patrick and I had the good fortune of enjoying two days of SXSW last week, at Food Tank’s All Things Food event, including a panel discussion in which I participated. One of the big themes was the need for consumers to support their local farmers. Farmers trying to do the right thing for the environment, for the soil and nutrition, for animals, and for their customers, face huge challenges, not the least of which is the need to compete against Big Ag and toxic industrial methods.

Two weeks ago I mentioned the Austin/Travis County Food Action Plan 2024, and earlier this week, the Austin Monitor published an article discussing two recent city memos on the topic. As at SXSW, there is discussion of “Food as Medicine” and - primarily - the desperate need to strengthen local food systems. 

The Monitor article states, “According to the memos, 62 percent of the plan’s strategies are in progress, while the remaining 38 percent have yet to begin. Funding constraints remain a major hurdle, with 62 percent of the strategies requiring additional resources for full implementation.”

And: “The memos make note of several pressing challenges. … staffing and budget limitations. And efforts to expand food worker surveys and create a regional Good Food Fund to support local food businesses remain unfunded. Among possible next steps, the memos said the city is considering bond funding, private philanthropy, and state and federal resources to bridge these funding gaps.​”

Money, Money, Money

Do you see the common motif here? Money, money, money. Given the national political scene, obtaining federal funding is likely to become much harder than it was already. Philanthropic organizations are being stressed trying to fill in the gaps left by vanishing federal funds around the country. And the state of Texas is never the first in line to help underserved populations.

We need to create a local food system that doesn’t require state or federal aid. We need a food system that is resilient and self-sufficient for the local people who depend on it. We are the people we’ve been waiting for!