File:03nesawg - farms to food 02.pdf

Northeast Farms to Food Understanding Our Region’s Food System

Over five years ago, a small group of NESAWG members envisioned a “little publication” that would describe and explain the Northeast food system.Wouldn’t it be great — and important — for us to have in hand all the information about production, distribution, and consumption of food (and fiber) in our region? Then, we speculated, we could better understand our food system, analyze it, and strategize toward change. The path to realizing that vision has been lengthy and sobering.We now know that there is a lot that we don’t know, and cannot find out; certain data simply does not exist. Yet, through the diligence of several NESAWG investigators, researchers, and writers, we are proud to present a substantial compilation of information about all sectors of the region’s food and farming system, contained in Part I of this publication.