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Getting hungry in OK

Posted at 2:35 PM on February 1, 2008 by Cher Stuewe-Portnoff (2 Comments)

O happiness! Plans are well underway for Oklahoma's sustainable food future! Permaculture will work well here. The OK statewide co-op has posted an all-points bulletin for new growers. The demand is out there - it's all good. If we were here permanently, I'd be awfully tempted to turn back my personal clock, find some acres in need of nurturing, and start building large cold frames. Our how-to books and journals and most of the garden tools are stashed away, a lot of experience behind us.

Reality intrudes. We're short-timers for now, with a family to feed. For the past 4 weeks, every lead in the search for affordable local food has pointed in two directions: the co-op and the future. Good for OK - not so good for our table right now. Our local supplies amount to a few packs of frozen meat and roasted green chiles, canned chow chow and jam, lovely locally milled flour. Three weeks out from the next co-op pick-up.

The e-mail signal that February's online co-op shopping cart is open arrived a couple of days ago. We buy sight-unseen, 3 weeks in advance. In our cart to date: Eggs, which are scarce and go fast; last July's dozen cost $3, today's are $3.50 - $4.50. We ordered 6 doz. to last 4 weeks. Meat, too much, compensating for the absence of fresh produce and whole grains. No chicken - the July 3.5 pounder for $11.85 now costs $20.15; the last was thin and gamey (NOT the norm). Buffalo prices: July's $5.16/lb. roast is $5.63/lb.; ground meat, up from $4.30 to $4.88. Beef stew and ground meat are up a little; Italian sausage is down; ham steak rose from $5.60 for about 1.5 lbs. to $8.50 - skipped that.

Dairy. Milk from a local dairy is about $3.89/gallon -- a big, mainstream local dairy, but no growth hormones. A fine local dairy farm is Wagon Wheel Creamery (co-op again); since they deserve every single dime they can get for wonderfully old-fashioned products, we regret not being able to afford $7.50/lb. butter or cream at $3.75 pt. for a large family

Our food habits suited us fine before this - simple, basic, varied, healthy, and largely organic/locally grown. I just can't find what I am used to serving here, and a lot of what I can find is pretty far off our usual path -- good tasty stuff, but not necessarily healthy for US. So some tension is going on between our differing goals and values.

At the mainstream grocery market the other day, I grabbed a cart and declared the U.S. the "local region" for a day - an eye-opening experience in itself. I bought as close to the the OK state line as I could, paying a premium at times, and passed on the Chilean grapes. We can substitute, go without favorites, look long and hard for resources up to a point - but at the end of the day, I need to feed people, and we need to stay healthy - "we" include a diabetic, a couple of cardio patients, a soon-to-be-bride and her bridesmaid trying to keep their dress sizes stable for the next few months, toddlers and a 7-year-old, just for starters. I can't buy what isn't available.

A lesson from the past is resurfacing: making the market work - demand, supply, all the connections to bring it together - takes time, sustained and inspired effort, good luck, and still more time. OK has a solid co-op distribution system in place (more on its highs/lows later.) Demand is strong. But OK needs suppliers. Not just a handful, but some serious new long-term growers, lots of them, all over the state. To become even a niche market, local foods consumers will ask for a measure of predictability, consistency, affordability, and variety.

As for us, I don't know that we're going to get anywhere near the 80% mark here in the next couple of months. But we're into the effort. Meanwhile, it's food for the soul to watch OK's local foods future unfolding right before our eyes.

Comments (2)

I was so disappointed to see that you are now in Oklahoma - I live in the St. Louis metro east, and work in St. Louis, so I was excited to see that there was someone in our area. Since there is already one representative in Oklahoma (Margaret), any chance that a St. Louis or Illinois rep will be found?

Posted by Jill | February 6, 2008 9:31 AM

Hi, Jill -- We lived in Columbia for years, and in St. Louis from last Nov. through May. We'll be back in St. Louis in about mid-May. We're in Oklahoma with my daughter's family, while our Navy son-in-law is overseas -- he's coming home soon! So don't give up on us yet. I'd be interested in where all you would look for local produce. We found the St. Louis farmers markets to be great!

Cher

Posted by Cher | February 6, 2008 10:59 AM