Why Is Eating Locally And Seasonally The Ideal We Aspire To, Yet So Rarely Embody?

G'Day Folks,

Bunkering down during cyclone Alfred offered some time for reflection and deeper thinking. In just under six years Sohip has grown from delivering 20 boxes of vegetables a week to over 300. What started out as a desire to sell only what we grew, evolved naturally into a business that now sources produce from farms locally and from around Australia.

This journey has unravelled many contradictions along the way. People have told me we should focus only on local and seasonal produce, whilst they pull the cork from a bottle of wine produced in South Australia, cut into a wheel of cheese from Tasmania and reach for a cracker made with organic grains from South America. I’m not pointing fingers because the same contradictions exist within myself, and truth be told, If I could peek inside the cupboards and fridge of even the most ardent local foodie, I will find more than one contradiction on their shelves.

I have savoured the seasons, and I can tell you — the first bite of a new season Gala Apple from Bilpin in the Blue Mountains drenches your tastebuds in the sweetest juice, forged by the mountains rich soils and crisp, cool morning air. Despite knowing this, my kids eat apples year round, and so do I. They are a staple in our household, remaining so even as their flavor fades and each bite loses its once-crisp, satisfying crunch. Clearly we are not willing to give them up, but the question is—should we?

So what is it that we truly seek when we tell ourselves that eating locally and seasonally is the ideal we aspire to, yet so rarely embody? To eat local is to eat more sustainable, nutritional food that is better for the environment and local community both socially and economically. I think that about sums it up, and I agree with it wholeheartedly. But my god the level of cognitive dissonance that exists within these beliefs is outrageous. We all agree it’s what we want, but we can’t work out how to pay for it, how to go without staple fruits and vegetables for half the year or how we change our diets to eliminate all the things that can’t be grown here.

I’m weary of witnessing exhausted farmers trying to create this local economy, only to burn through all their savings and spirit before calling it quits. They cling to it with every ounce of determination they can muster, fuelled not by profit, but by a deep love—for the land, the food and the people.

I asked a friend of mine what they would do differently given what they know now about producing food for their local community. He replied “I wouldn’t try to feed everyone in my community, people don’t want to pay the price, our industrial food system has made food so cheap, most people cannot justify paying double or sometimes triple to buy off me. If I had my time again, I’d just grow enough for my family, friends and neighbours, I’d grow it how I want it to be grown and barter with those who share the same values and ethics.”

Yet, no farmer who is forced to walk away has done so in vain. Their labor and love enrich the soil, and the seeds they planted will keep growing, carried forward by time and others who believe in the same vision. The next generation of farmers will step into the field with more knowledge, on land made softer by those who came before them. And little by little, as more people seek truth, communities will find ways to sustain a food system they trust and cherish.

But I’m still not sure if it’s really the end of the world to enjoy an Apple grown in the Blue Mountains, a glass of wine from the Barossa or delicious cheese from Tasmania. Local food systems build resilience, diversity, richness and connection. But they cannot fulfil the entire food supply, they will forever be limited by climate, terrain and people. The choice is not between one or the other, it’s between having no local food supply or a rich and diverse array of farms and artisanal producers that supply the very best their climate, season and land can offer. That’s what we intend on doing and we will leave the Apple growing to the farmers of Bilpin.

Thank YOU for joining us on this epic journey & supporting Your local farmer!