02-19-2009

Random nibbles: Ag Census, Market Menus and more

Whispering ElmsFresh tidbits to nibble on this week:

  1. 2007 Ag Census numbers were just released by the USDA. There is so much RI data, available in a detailed and a summary PDF. Here are a few trends:
    • 1,219 RI farmers were counted, up 42% from 2002. That’s 1.1% of all Rhode Islanders, though it doesn’t include the number of additional farm workers beyond the principal farmer. 51% of counted RI farmers said their farm provides their primary livelihood, which was higher than the national rate of 45%.
    • RI had 69,000 acres of farmland, up 11%, but the size of the average RI farm got 22% smaller, about 56 acres. That’s about 10.3% of the total land in RI.
    • The number of farms run by women more than doubled in 5 years, while the average age of RI farmers jumped to 56.3 from 54.3.

    RI ranks #46 for vegetables (same as 2002), #40 for fruit harvested (up from #43), #47 for poultry and eggs, #49 for meats, and #47 for aquaculture (down from #45, though sales have doubled). Since producing food requires space and we’re the tiniest state, any time we rank above #50 in a food category, it’s impressive. And if you’re looking for stories to complement the data, check out our profiles of 43 RI farmers.

  2. Chez Pascal is offering The Market Menu every Monday, based completely on ingredients from Saturday’s Wintertime Farmers’ Market and our Market Mobile distribution program. True, the Chez Pascal menu is a showcase of fine seasonal cuisine every day, and now Mondays offer an expanded meditation on the delicious flavors that are here in New England even in the midst of winter. Kudos to Matt and Kristin!
  3. The Providence Phoenix this week looks at Farm Fresh and the growth of the local food movement here in Rhode Island.
  4. 225 farmers, chefs, schools and other food folks attended our 5th Local Food Forum on February 4. This year’s theme was On the Go: From Farm to Food to Compost. We’ve posted notes online from the roundtable discussions, which ranged from distribution to compost to supporting new farmers.
  5. Have you joined a CSA yet? It’s a 20+ week subscription program run by many RI farms. You’ll get a weekly box of fresh veggies and more, while supporting your farmer with “seed money” (literally) that is crucial during the time between when they plant in the spring and harvest in the summer and fall. It’s almost March and many CSAs fill up fast! Look at our list of Community Supported Agriculture farms or if you’d like to try out a 10-week program first, Farm Fresh runs a Market Basket pickup at the Armory and Downtown markets in Providence.
  6. Boston is planning a Public Food Market next to the Haymarket along the Rose Kennedy Greenway downtown. The idea is to provide a permanent indoor space for local farmers and producers. Ensuring a year-round space for fresh foods in the center of city sounds familiar. Having fostered summer markets in every corner of the state and a thriving indoor Wintertime Farmers’ Market, a Providence Public Market is surely next.