Resilient Communities

Jon Steinman presented “Deconstructing Dinner” last night at Mount Allison University:

He’s touring the Maritimes with his theme of food purchases as investments, not expenditures. Jon showed that 90% of beef slaughtering occurs in only 5 plants across the country, just one example of corporate concentration in the industrial food system.

Corporate Concentration results in:

1. price control
2. fewer options for consumers
3. corporate influence over policy & regulations
4. food safety concerns
5. loss of local culture
6. lack of diversity and subsequently resilience

He quoted Canada’s Minister of Public Safety on the recent closure of prison farms, saying that  “labour-intensive farming is no longer relevant”. The current government obviously sees no future in smaller scale or family farming.

Jon then went on to show what is happening in his town of Nelson, BC.

• The largest Food Co-op in the country
• No local grain? Start the Kootenay Grain CSA
• Urban Agriculture

Jon also emphasized how all of the initiatives were grassroots and started with little, if any, funding. Furthermore, using the Net to share information is one of the greatest assets we have in creating resilient communities: aka ridiculously easy group-forming.

Some resources in our area:

Sackville CSA

Renaissance Sackville

Fundy Biosphere

ACORN

Here’s a book to examine some of the more radical options available: The Revolution will not be Microwaved