Bioregional Trends in the Cannon River Valley
Bioregional Trends in the CRVB
Bioregional Vision for the CRVB
Eating within our foodshed is an important part of living sustainably. It means thinking about how many miles food currently travels to get to your plate, how many gallons of fossil fuels went into it's production and transport, and the conditions under which the food was grown. It is making an effort to eat locally grown, seasonal, and organic produce.
The Just Food Co-op is a perfect example of an existing bioregional trend in the Cannon River Valley Bioregion. The co-op really focuses on integrating local producers, because this is just as important as organic. It builds community and local economy by making connections with local farmers and purchasing local products. In this sense it is also bioregional in nature. The current natural foods trend seems to emphasize organic foods but this is not necessarily sustainable. According to Jenny Howenstine, one of the founding team members of the Just Foods Co-op, not all local producers are organic, or have not yet become certified but they (founding team members of Just Foods) believe that local is just as important. The Just Food co-op promotes sustainable living in many ways. It will stock local foods which reduces energy and transportation externalities.
It also promotes a sense of place by making connections with local farmers, so that consumers connect with the producers and in turn with the land. The co-op will also be affected seasonally – during the summer months, clearly there will be more local produce available, and prices will reflect this. It doesn’t mean you can’t buy other produce throughout the year, but it will make people more aware of the growing seasons of the local area. A seasonal awareness is also part of becoming native to a place.
The name Just Food has a story behind it as well. The idea of just, as in justice (not only) exists on four levels. It is justice for the producers, to get a fair price for their produce and products; justice for the employees who will receive a fair wage and friendly working conditions; justice for the consumers who will know what they are eating and where it came from and how it was grown, and most importantly, but often overlooked, justice for the land, because of the sustainable practices that the Just Foods encourages.
The Just Food logo includes a blue curvy line that symbolizes the river which the founding members that was a symbolic way of illustrating the connection to the natural features that the town is built around. In addition, the blue line is to symbolize a scale, as in weighing justice. I think the dual symbolism of the river and justice from all sides is a truly bioregional logo.
Community Supported Agriculture is another trend toward more sustainable food sources. They provide locally grown, organic produce to shareholders. There are two CSA farms in the area, The Big Woods Farm and Valley Creek Community Farm. For more information on CSA farms in our bioregion, see ES 399 Research Project by Martha Steenberg.
(back to top)"The energy future for Northfield and surrounding areas is in producing our own energy from local sources. It will be a challenge to meet energy needs in sustainable ways, but in terms of long-term viability, renewable energy is truly the only path that makes sense for our world." -Bruce Anderson
Elise Braaten, Milena Klimek, and Britt Carlson helping set up a wind monitoring tower at St. Olaf College
The McNeilus Wind Farm near Dodge Center, MN
ReNew Northfield is another bioregional trend that will help direct the Cannon River Valley toward a more sustainable future. This organization was formed in 2002 to seek out renewable energy sources in the region. According to ReNew Northfield president, Bruce Anderson, they initially wanted to locate themselves with more of a geographic area in mind but it became Northfield based due to practical reasons. They wanted to focus on realistic outcomes, and for now, wind seems the most practical renewable energy to pursue. The large-scale wind turbines are really the most energy effective but they are also interested in other renewable sources, as well as energy efficiency and conservations.
ReNew is a very grassroots, organic organizing effort beginning with an opinion piece Bruce Anderson published in the local Northfield paper with an invitation for anyone interested to meet and brainstorm ideas. The name, ReNew Northfield stands for "renewable energy for a new Northfield." They have a common vision to pursue sustainable energy sources to ensure a sustainable future.
RENew Northfield's vision is: "an energy self-sufficient community that produces its own energy using a variety of methods that are environmentally friendly, of benefit to the local economy, and socially just. Conservation and responsible energy use are also central to this vision. We foresee Northfield becoming a model for other communities working toward energy self-sufficiency."
Alternative energy has the potential to really benefit family farms– by investing in a wind turbine on farm land, it provides value added to agricultural lands. Farmers and local investors can collaborate on purchasing wind turbines which keeps the money in the community instead of putting it into large energy companies.
Renewable Energy and Agriculture: A Natural Fit
"Renewable energy and farming are a winning combination. Wind, solar, and biomass energy can be harvested forever, providing farmers with a long-term source of income. Renewable energy can be used on the farm to replace other fuels or sold as a "cash crop." -Union of Concerned Scientists
