WorksheetsLocal Food Systems
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 8mins
What is the official US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) definition of "local food"?
Food that was produced and sold within a state
Food that was produced within a 400 mile radius
Food that was produced by a small farm and sold in-season directly to the consumer
The USDA has no official definition of "local food"
Local food systems have impacts on social, economic, and environmental factors. These three factors are a big part of something we touched on earlier in this class. Which is it?
Edible landscape systems
Sustainability
Cycles of activity
Purpose and design
What are the 3 main values generally considered in perceptions of local food?
Environmental, economic, nutritional
Equitable, accessible, affordable
Sustainable, profitable, nutritional
Fresh, unprocessed, chemical-free
What is the most likely reason the concept of "local food" differs so much on federal, state, city, and other levels?
Food system laws differ across the country
Each one is dealing with a different scale in terms of distance
Each has a different purpose behind what embodies the concept of "local food"
Governments at the various levels refuse to agree on a definition
Which of these tend to be features of a local food system?
Environmental stewardship
Connecting producers and consumers
Economic opportunities for farmers
Bringing products from around the world to our local markets
What is a foodshed?
A location where underprivileged citizens can purchase locally produced food
A centralized location where farmers bring their food to sell
A structure on a farm where produce is stored before it goes to market
The geographic area that supplies a population with food
In what two ways is the concept of a foodshed used in understanding and discussing food systems?
A tool for understanding the flow of food in the food system
A framework for envisioning alternatives to our current food system
A tool for determining marketing strategies for local products
A tool for measuring the average distance our food travels
The concept of foodshed was first introduced to understand:
The food needs of rural areas
The food needs of large cities
The food needs of developing countries
The environmental impacts of the food system
Most of our current foodsheds are considered:
Local
Regional
National
Global
How are foodsheds and watersheds similar?
Both describe the flow of a substance from its origin to its ultimate destination
Both are used to visualize transportation of goods
Both have clearly defined boundaries based on geographic features
Both are used in food system research
What is the first step for a farmer working on a marketing plan for their farm?
Choosing which products to sell
Determining their target market
Analyzing the local foodshed
Choosing a marketing strategy
As a farmer working on a marketing plan, what's a key factor in determining your market positioning?
Defining your target market
Defining what sets your product apart from the competition
Defining a list of products you're going to sell
Defining your marketing strategy
As a farmer, if you really enjoy interacting with people, what two marketing strategies would work well for you?
Internet sales
Farmers markets
On-farm sales
CSA
What is a major benefit of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) marketing strategy for farmers?
It reduces the financial risk for farmers
It reduces labor because people come to the farm to pick their own produce
It reduces transportation costs
Farmers only need to grow a limited number of different crops
What is the purpose of a food hub?
To give producers a place to sell their products to individual restaurants
To create a place where people can shop for local products
To allow smaller-scale farms to pool their products in order to fill large orders
To provide a place where CSA shareholders can pick up their shares
