Testing the Hypothesis 2

The issue of local farm fresh food is something that affects everyone, or should at least in my thought process. The 5 interviews I have recently conducted have taught me otherwise however. Throughout my interviews I have been able to see where the line is drawn in who actually cares about this problem and who doesn't. Often the people that I talk to care deeply about their health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They also agree that local fresh food is a big part in maintaining that healthy lifestyle but when it comes down to it there are a couple reasons why it can't be achieved.

The most prominent reason that I have found s simply convenience. People in today's world are always on the move, always busy. People don't have time to really stop and make a whole fresh healthy move in their packed days. They give reasons such as short lunch breaks or too many appointments etc. The entrepreneurs that I met with say that they simply have too many appointments in their days to stop for an hour or 45 min and make a healthy meal. To these, I give the simple solution of meal prep. No one has time everyday to make a full course meal among work and errands and such, but there are ways to avoid this. It is much easier to set aside a couple hours on a Sunday or Saturday in order to cook all the food that you need for the week and package it accordingly. You will save money for one and also have your food ready and easily eaten saving you time in the long run.

Apart from the time, the other biggest reason for not consuming fresh local foods is a lack of knowledge. People are simply unaware of the benefits of consuming local or worse, they just don't care. Consuming local foods is extremely important. Not only does it put you in contact with local people in the community but you are directly supporting the efforts of those living and working around you. I think it is very important to build a strong community sense in every place that you go, but these ideals don't hold true for everyone. People are also unaware of how to make healthy foods. They know you're supposed to eat whole foods and plants but it is never made clear to people what to do once you get those foods. A lot of the people I talked to know that vegetables like beets and squash and zucchini are very good for you and you should eat them, but have no idea where to start in cooking them. Here I think it is important to not only teach people what they should be eating, but also how to eat it. Recipes go a long way for people who don't know where to start or are hesitant in the kitchen. The good thing about most of these fresh foods is they don't take a lot of time or skill to prepare and most of the flavors come straight from the foods themselves.

Once again convenience takes precedence and people will opt for restaurant chains or fast food that are not really helping at all. My response to this is to at-least try to go to local restaurants, owned by people in the community that are using fresh ingredients and employing people that live in the community. Often these big corporations are outsourcing to massive farms and distribution centers and the only impacts they are giving in the community are the jobs for the people at them. Whereas these local restaurants are providing the same jobs, plus supporting local growers and workers while providing you with fresh local food, a win win win.

Pretty much everyone should fall inside the boundary of this need, but unfortunately they don't. The reason people fall outside of it is because they are not wiling to make the lifestyle changes necessary to consume this healthier food or they just don't want to. People that are addicted to fast food and unhealthy fats are not going to make this change, and it would take a tremendous amount of effort to get them to. The people this is focusing on is those who are already buying healthy and organic food, but want to switch to a local community source. Also those who want to be healthier but don't know where to start.

The outsiders simply do not care either about their community or making a healthy change in their lives. They are content with the ease and convenience of fast foods or restaurant chains that have the meal service very efficient and compact. They do not see it as worth their time to try and learn a new skill such as cooking or take an interest in the knowledge of their health. Unfortunately these are the people that would benefit most from the fresh local food and is a shame.

Inside the Boundary                                 Outside the Boundary

People consuming healthy food                 People content with their current consumptions
Looking to become healthier                      Not looking to change daily diet
Looking to support local business,             Convenience > Health
community, farmers

Need fresh local foods from                       Don't need fresh or local, just need fast and immediate
farms in your community                           services, doesn't matter if they are healthy or not
to support local business and
health

People care about their health,                   Fast food is too convenient, taking time to learn how to
they want to be healthier,                           cook is not worth their time, the opportunity cost of
they want to help their community            switching to this healthier lifestyle is perceived to be
and support local                                        too high and not worth it.