Source (The first map of America’s food supply chain is mind-boggling) Money quote: "We also looked for the core counties—the places that are most central to the overall structure of the food supply network. A disruption to any of these counties may have ripple effects for the food supply chain of the entire country." Worth a read...
In my area, we know a lot of people who focus on only eating foods grown without a 100-mile radius. I think it is a good idea.
We ship Florida oranges to California, and California oranges to Florida. How many billions of barrels of oil would be saved if the States stopped importing crops that could be grown locally? If local farmers were helped by the Gubbermint in each State instead of hindered, we could all eat fresher food that cost a lot less. And (oh, yeah!) small farmers would be able to make a living. A decentralized food network no longer dependent on long-distance shipping would be a lot more resistant to disruption after any one of the several hundred possible Collapse scenarios. We should take a lesson from Cuba. When they were abandoned by the Soviets (and embargoed by the US) they had to learn how to survive without imported foods. They did, mostly by turning almost every square foot of available land into farms and gardens. Homes not only had backyard gardens, they had roof-top gardens, and window box gardens, too.
Wait, you want me to learn how to grow what? Look, the yard man is coming at 10 and I have a very important X box game at 10:30 then I have e-mail to check and then Mickey D's for lunch I just don't see how I can squeeze in this farming BS. sarc/off
"If local farmers were helped by the Gubbermint in each State instead of hindered, we could all eat fresher food that cost a lot less. And (oh, yeah!) small farmers would be able to make a living." I'm one to think that the "government" just needs to butt out.
