In Our Winter 2018 Issue

Katie Welborn, CFSA Sara Clow, GrowFood Carolina Brian Wheat, Lowcountry Local First Becky Burke, Slowfood Charleston Carrie Larson, Slowfood Columbia David Harper, Midlands Food Alliance Danny Cannon, Midlands Food Alliance Tameria Warren, Sustainable Midlands

No Farms, no Food.

The American Farmland Trust created a bumper sticker to spread this message 35 years ago: “We need land to grow the food...healthy soils to nourish the crops and livestock...clean water on farms... and farmers to make it all happen.” We need farmers. Farmers have the most important job there is—as long as there are mouths to feed, there will always be a need for farmers.

Farmers are my heroes.

John F. Kennedy once said “For the farmer, is the only man in our economy who has to buy everything he buys at retail—sell everything he sells at wholesale—and pay the freight both ways.” Not much has changed since that speech in 1960; farming has become increasingly difficult for the small farmer as farmland becomes more unattainable, warehouse and distribution logistics become more laborious than farming itself, and as the farmer population ages, the number of farmers decreases.

How can we fix this?

Keeping that question in mind, and believing that in order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you came from, this issue is taking us to the root of the local food movement in the Midlands and Lowcountry. We highlight a few of the organizations and people (featured on our cover) impacting the local food scene. These folks are working tirelessly to support our farms and farmers and ensuring there is fresh, sustainable food for us to eat.

We all can play a role in improving our food system and supporting our local farms. Knowing what the issues are, learning about the role each organization plays, and understating how they impact the food system, will provide you with what you need to know to get involved.

Rooted in health in 2018,

Jacquelyn McHugh, Editor in Chief