Allison Czapp is an enthusiastic representative of Buy Fresh, Buy Local – Greater Lehigh Valley. Part of a national organization, the purpose of BFBLGLV is to build the Greater Lehigh Valley local food economy by educating consumers about the many benefits of choosing locally grown foods; promoting local food providers; improving fresh food access; facilitating local food purchases by wholesale buyers; providing research about our local food economy; and convening the Thriving Local Food System branch of the Food Policy Council. It also helps to provide a unified brand for local farmers in Lehigh Valley, Northampton and parts of Berks Counties.
Allison shared some pretty compelling reasons why consumers should buy local, including:
Taste - Supermarket produce travels an average of 1,500 miles from farm to table. Freshness and taste are sacrificed for durability, as most fruit and vegetable varieties sold in supermarkets are chosen for their ability to withstand industrial harvesting equipment and extended travel. Locally grown foods are picked and eaten at the height of ripeness, and have exceptional, more complex flavors. They are usually sold within 24 hours of being harvested and are incredibly fresh because they’ve traveled fewer miles to the consumer. Also, local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste, rather than those optimized for shipping and long shelf lives.
Health Benefits - Locally grown food may be more nutritious. At large industrial farms, the pursuit of high-yielding varieties often comes at the expense of nutritional quality. Production methods that deplete the soil health tend to yield crops with lower nutritional content. Supermarket fruits and vegetables can spend 7-14 days in transit, and the vitamin content of produce that has been picked early and forced to ripen during transport is often lower than that which ripens right on the plant.
Preserving Family Farms - The USDA recently reported that farmers only receive 11.6 cents of each food dollar spent, down from 20 cents in 1999. Food processing, transportation, packaging, and energy account for nearly three times that amount. As a result, the Lehigh Valley has lost more than 80% of its farms and 53% of its farmland in the past century. Only 984 farms and 142,000 acres remain. With each local food purchase, more of our food dollars go directly to local farmers, ensuring that family farms in the Lehigh Valley continue to be economically viable, and that farmland and nutritious, flavorful food will be available for future generations.
Environmental Benefits - Most conventionally-produced food is extremely resource intensive. The U.S. spends about $239 billion each year on energy to bring food to our tables, 80-90% of which is used in the areas of post-production: processing, packaging, shipping, storage, and retail operations. Because locally grown food doesn’t have to travel far, reducing fossil fuel dependence, CO2 emissions, and packing materials.
Contributing to our Local Economy - Buying locally grown food keeps food dollars circulating in our community, rather than sending them to distant corporations. The purchase of locally grown food provides three times more investment in our Lehigh Valley economy.
Allison concluded her presentation sharing the Buy Local Challenge: to start thinking FRESH, LOCAL and SEASONALLY. If everyone in the Greater Lehigh Valley spent $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate $207 million for our local farms and $93 million for local businesses. In total, it would add an extra $300 million to our local economy. If we all do our part, our local food economy will continue to grow and thrive while we reap the personal benefits of eating well.
Announcements:
January is Vocational Service Month. The concept of Vocational Service is rooted in the Second Object of Rotary, which calls on Rotarians to encourage and foster:
High ethical standards in business and professions
Recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations
The dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society
As Rotarians, we can put these ideals into action by:
Talking about our vocation at Club meetings and taking time to learn about fellow Rotarians’ vocations
Using our professional skills to serve our Club and the community
Practicing our profession with integrity and inspiring others to behave ethically through example
Helping a young person achieve his or her career aspirations
Guiding and encouraging others in their professional development
If you do any of these things, then you are performing Vocational Service – the very essence of Rotary and sets us apart from other service organizations.
A Celebration of Life for Bob Cohen will be held on March 25, 2017 at 11 AM at the UUCLVPA located at 424 Center Street in Bethlehem.
Outreach Hunger Committee Meeting will be held on January 20 at 8:30 am at Wegmans on Route 512. If you’d like to be involved in this exciting Club service project, please feel free to attend. The Outreach Hunger Food Packing Event will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2017.
Next week’s program speaker is Paul Peucker, archivist at the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem.
Other Upcoming Events/Activities:
Ginny Sandoval, Membership Chair, Allentown West Rotary, is organizing an International Women’s Day at Cedar Crest College on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 in an effort to recruit more women to Rotary. The event will start with round table discussions form 3:00-5:00, followed by a celebration of women with networking, drinks, and snacks, and entertainment from 5:00-7:00. Our District Governor, Linda Young, has been invited to join the effort, and Ginny has extended the invitation to area Clubs. Despite it being geared toward women Rotarians, men are invited to attend as well!
March 11th is also the date our District 7430 has selected to celebrate the RI Foundation’s 100th Anniversary. The celebration will be in the form of a Gala which will be held at Pine Crest Country Club in North Penn. It is close enough for many of us to attend, so please save the date on your calendar.
Our District is planning a fun, yet impactful, service opportunity. On March 26-April 2, 2017, your fellow District 7430 Rotarians will be leaving for a 7 day round trip cruise, leaving from Miami and sailing to the Dominican Republic on the Fathom Adonia, an elegant, yet relaxed, 710 passenger ship. Rotarians will have a chance to serve and participate in Impact such as teaching English, helping with tree planting and reforestation, making water filters for home use, pouring concrete floors, aiding a women’s chocolate cooperative as well as a paper recycling and craft entrepreneurship. When not serving, you can relax at beautiful Amber Cove, a $90 million dollar facility, and enjoy the beach, hiking, touring, zip lining, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, and more! Cost is $299 pp for an inside or outside cabin*, $599 pp for a room with balcony, $999 pp for a suite! Airfare and onshore leisure activities not included.
District Conference 7430, hosted by District Governor, Linda Young, is scheduled on May 5th - 7th, 2017, at the Eden Resort & Suites in Lancaster. Conference ticket prices are $190 until December 31st; starting January 1st tickets are $220. Special Conference room rate is $169 - $189 per night for Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, 2017. Rooms at this rate will be held until April 4, 2017.
Mark your calendars for Monday, May 15 (rain date is May 22) for our annual Rotary Golf Tournament at the Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course.
Rotary.org, our public-facing website, has a fresh, contemporary look that clearly answers the often-asked question: “What is Rotary?” It’s the first step in a two-part update to our entire website: first Rotary.org, and then My Rotary. See what's changed.