![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/gastronomyblog\/files\/2012\/08\/range-turkeys1.jpg\" "\\"Range")
<\/a>In the four years that Ferndale Market has been open, my family has become deeply engaged in advocating for local and sustainable food, and supporting the independent farmers and producers who provide it. As just one small part of a much larger effort, it has been exciting to witness consumers\u2019 growing interest in where their food comes from.<\/p>\n
Here are just a few of the positive things we see happening with local food right now:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Farm to School<\/strong><\/p>\n Restaurants have increasingly focused on sourcing their food locally and now many schools are doing the same. The two largest school districts in Minnesota \u2013 Minneapolis and St. Paul \u2013 have even gotten on board. Some schools have also implemented education efforts to go along with their local sourcing. For example, my brother has served Ferndale Market turkey burgers and traded \u201cFarmer John\u201d baseball cards with elementary students. These types of activities provide opportunities to teach students important lessons about food, nutrition, and agriculture. (To learn more about Minnesota\u2019s Food to School program, check out the The University of Minnesota Extension\u2019s\u00a0documentary<\/a>\u00a0on the subject.)<\/p>\n Farm to Institution<\/strong><\/p>\n From Target to Best Buy, a number of Minnesota-based corporations are incorporating local food into their employee cafeteria menus. Ferndale Market provides turkey to many of these institutions, thanks in part to its partnership with\u00a0Bon App\u00e9tit Management Company<\/a>, a food service company committed to sustainable food. Many hospitals and healthcare organizations \u2013 perfect sites for nutrition education \u2013 also are exploring how they can improve the food they serve. In Minnesota, a committee made up of farmers and hospitals is looking at how they can better work together to provide food that\u2019s healthy for patients and the environment.<\/p>\n Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n Rather than viewing each other as competitors, many independent farmers, food producers, and retailers have banded together. Being in the minority, they know that helping each other succeed will help build a more sustainable food system and have found ways to champion one another. For example,\u00a0Valley Natural Foods<\/a>\u00a0hosted a screening of\u00a0Food Inc.<\/a>\u00a0followed by a panel discussion featuring a variety of people involved in the local food industry. As a more behind the scenes example, when making deliveries to restaurants, Ferndale Market has hauled product for\u00a0Thousand Hills Cattle Company<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Hidden Stream Farm<\/a>, and they have done the same. Combining loads saves time and reduces carbon footprints, as well as streamlines the receiving process for chefs.<\/p>\n Education<\/strong><\/p>\n From panel discussions to \u201cFarmer John\u201d baseball cards, education is the common theme. Independent farmers, producers, and retailers know that they can make a living only if they teach consumers why the food they raise, produce, and sell is different. As food corporations increasingly step up their marketing efforts focused on sustainability claims, it is more important than ever for independent farmers and producers to share their stories and boldly convey points of difference.<\/p>\n Over the past few years, a number of people have stopped into Ferndale Market to ask what my grandparents would think of the farm\u2019s evolution. As humble Midwesterners, they likely would be embarrassed to have a store named after them. But as hardworking farmers, who built a life and raised a family on the farm, they would be proud to know it has remained environmentally and economically sustainable into its third generation. As consumers increasingly seek out food grown locally on family farms, we hope it will remain sustainable for many years to come.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/gastronomyblog\/files\/2012\/08\/market-interior1.jpg\" "\\"Market")
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