Laughing Stock Farm, Freeport, Maine

"Authentic" Local Produce

Recently, the concept of “authentic” produce has been gaining acceptance.  The idea is to provide a label indicating that the produce is organically grown within 50 miles of the use location.  This label assures the user that the product is both organic and local.  It seems obvious that local produce will be fresher than produce that has been transported 3000 miles across country in a truck or train.  We believe that a significant part of the success of our business is due to the quality associated with the freshness of our product.

 What Can Local Agriculture Do For The Local Economy?

There is another benefit that the whole community experiences when local agriculture thrives.  We offer the following to demonstrate the impact that supporting local agriculture can have on the local economy.

If each household in Maine were to purchase $10 worth of locally grown produce each week for six months of the year, we could keep about $100 million in the local economy that would otherwise go to producers in other parts of the country.

Example:

Maine’s Population                               1,000,000

Average People Per Household                    x 2.5

Number of Maine Households                  400,000

$10 Per Week                                             x $10

$ Remaining in Maine Weekly              $4,000,000

26 Weeks Per Year (6 Months)                      x 26

$ Remaining in Maine Annually        $104,000,000

This analysis, offered by Russ Libby, Director of MOFGA, considers only the direct result and not the impact from local farmers supporting other local businesses such as seed, tractor, equipment, and other suppliers or the income for farmers and jobs for local farm workers.  We are successfully pushing the envelop of this model by extending production to 12 months of the year.

Obviously we, in Maine, have a way to go since the farm related business structure in Maine has deteriorated dramatically over the last 30 years.  None-the-less, this example shows that the local economy will benefit as local agriculture expands and improves. 

Thank you for your commitment to our farm and the local economy.

Send mail to lisa@laughingstockfarm.com with questions or comments about our farm

Send to ralph@rturner.com with questions or comments about our energy project. 

Copyright 2008, Laughing Stock Farm
Last modified: February 01, 2008