“Access to good food is a right, not a lifestyle.”

“We can’t keep balancing the economy on the backs of farmers. To make farmers economically viable we have to shorten the supply chain.”

Bain used to work in women’s prisons, and commented on the fact that many of those incarcerated were from rural areas where the farming systems had collapsed and the women suddenly found themselves with no job skills befitting an urban lifestyle. As a result, most of them were in jail for “poverty crimes,” i.e. petty theft, prostitution, passing bad checks, etc.

And lastly … “It takes a community to feed a community,” but communities don’t make themselves, so we – as individual consumers – need to buy locally, get involved in local/state/national political issues, and support organizations that champion sustainable causes.

P.S. the hot dogs were really good, especially on the local buns from Pure & Simple Bakery in Paso Robles!