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Off the front
LOCAL FOOD } from page 1 the last 20, just because we started with fewer, initially. “The whole sector is certainly enjoying a growth.” The boom is attracting a wide variety of entrants. Some, like Serben, have a conventional farming background, while others have no agricultural background at all. “There is also a large number of people who are looking at farm direct marketing as a second career choice,” said Goad. “So they may have worked for 20 or 25 years as a doctor or a dentist or whatever and they just have an interest in food and getting back to the land.”
june 9, 2014 • Albertafarmexpress.ca
New immigrants who farmed in their homeland are also part of the mix. “It’s a diverse group, but that’s nice to see, because not everyone who is coming into the industry in Alberta is in the same age group or has the same background,” she said. Some farmers who produce commodities are also developing a local-food sideline. “A farmer doesn’t have to make a choice,” said Goad. “But it takes a specific personality and a specific family-support structure in order to participate in a successful farm direct operation. “You have to like people. Farm direct marketing is time consum-
Jered and Julia Serben sell free-range, pasture-raised pigs along with poultry, eggs, lamb, and vegetables.
Jered Serben grew up on a conventional hog farm, and now runs Serben Free Range, which specializes in free-range, pastured meats. Photos: Courtesy Jered Serben
ing. You have the benefit of having the personal relationship to the customer, knowing the producer and having a direct interaction — but all that takes time.” While community-supported agriculture is growing close to urban areas, rural areas are experiencing a resurgence of farm-based, field meals prepared by chefs. Sales cover a wide range, too — from less than $20,000 a year to all the way up to $250,000. “It really depends on the type of operation and the scope of operation, and the scope of how small or big they want to be,” said Goad. Serben had serious doubts about the financial viability of his
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business when he started eight years ago, but said the key was determination. “When you’re in that mode and you want to make it, then you come up with different and better ideas to make money,” he said. “If you’re going to do the same thing that everyone else does, you’re probably not going to make any money.” Today Serben Free Range farm offers a livelihood comparable to a conventional operation, he said. “It’s a smaller scale, but we’re not dealing with huge operating loans,” said Serben. “Our profit margins are higher with less risk. I probably wouldn’t have said that two years ago, but now that
we’re marketing ourselves fairly well, it’s starting to really take off. “It’s starting to be fun.” Having a direct contact with your customers is part of that. “Here you build a relationship with them, their kids, sometimes their grandparents,” he said. “It’s pretty big, and they’re eating the food that you personally raised for them, which is really cool.” Even though Serben may be a local food guy, he still respects the role of the conventional farmer. “If there wasn’t any conventional farming, then we would be out too, because our niche would not be a niche anymore.” akienlen@fbcpublishing.com
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Paper argues ‘best before’ dates add to mountain of food waste By Barbara Lewis athens / reuters
“Best before” dates on food add to a mountain of waste in Europe and could be scrapped for some long-life produce, a group of European Union states have argued in a discussion paper. Food waste in the West has become a hot topic because of its environmental and humanitarian implications. A report last year found up to half of the food produced worldwide was wasted because of poor harvesting, storage and transport methods, as well as irresponsible retailer and consumer behaviour. The discussion paper put forward by the Netherlands and
Sweden says date labelling in many EU countries is adding to the problem. According to figures from the commission, up to 100 million tonnes of food are wasted in Europe each year, while last year’s report from the London-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers found that between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of the food which gets to supermarket shelves is wasted — often because of poor understanding of best before and use by dates. A use by date is applied if there is a health risk in eating food after that date, whereas a best before date is more about quality — when it expires it does not necessarily mean food is harmful, but it may lose flavour and texture.