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The Future of Food in Boulder County
"Everyone talks about global warming, carbon footprints and peak oil," says Dave Georgis, director of the Boulder-based Everybody Eats! program. "But one thing the environmental movement has failed to recognize from the beginning is the impact of food on our environment and our sustainability. Finally, people have started to make the connection." Everybody Eats! began in 2000 to promote local, sustainable and organic agriculture and to oppose genetic engineering in food. Founded by local activist Patrick West, the program was originally called the Colorado Genetic Engineering Action Network (COGEAN). The initial concept was to promote a statewide ballot initiative to require that genetically modified ingredients in foods be labeled and to focus extensively on issues related to genetic engineering. Three years ago, after completing a research project in Boulder County about the possibility of banning GM crops in the area, Everybody Eats! took a new direction. "In doing research with organic and conventional farmers we learned a lot more about the nature of agriculture and what the challenges are," says Georgis. "We saw an opportunity not only to fight GMO's but to actually begin to promote sustainable agriculture." He also realized there was a significant loss of infrastructure for local farmers and said this basic infrastructure needed to be restored in order to sustain local agriculture for the long term. Georgis explains the name was changed from COGEAN to Everybody Eats! because he believes food production is the single biggest impact humans have on our planet, and because, well, everybody eats. He says it's important for everyone to think about the impact of our food choices on a daily basis and to share in the responsibility of feeding the world with sustainable, abundant and safe foods. Everybody Eats! is affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center in Boulder and local activists Betty and Gary Ball help with the program; Betty serves as a RMPJC liaison and Gary is treasurer. Betty and Gary say, "Food and water are the basis of all life. For there to be justice and sustainable life for all people, everyone must have affordable access to healthy, nutritious food. Everybody Eats! is working to educate people about the advantages of local, sustainable agriculture, and works to ensure that city, county and state policies encourage local production of healthy food." Everybody Eats! has also teamed with the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department, the Boulder County Food and Agriculture Policy Council, and local farmers to develop an innovative model for leasing county open space to help create small farms in Boulder County. "The county owns over 20,000 acres of prime agricultural land," explains Georgis. "Traditionally, the county has leased this land back to farmers for various kinds of agriculture like alfalfa production for horses and dairy cows, grazing and for large scale commodity farmers growing corn, sugar beets and barley. What they haven't done is make land available for the very small farmers." But times are changing. Boulder County has identified three different parcels of land in the 10-15 acre range. A site located on Jay Road in Boulder has been designated to move forward with and Georgis says the county has invested $20,000 in infrastructure so far for this farm. "Right now we're trying to find farmers who can actually farm this land and one of the models would be to create a grower's association of several farmers who would work together under one lease," he says. "This will create some opportunities for those specific farmers to sell back to their community to make locally grown food accessible for everybody." Everybody Eats! is also in the planning stages of a Boulder County Food Summit. The summit will bring together a wide spectrum of organizations and entities in the area such as local farmers, Boulder Valley Relocalization, BOULDER COUNTY GOING LOCAL!, El Centro Amistad, Community Food Share, the Boulder Farmer's Market, various restaurants and food markets. A year ago about 15 different food related organizations met at the Lafayette Public Library for a roundtable brainstorming session to begin planning the summit. "The response was one of just awe in terms of, 'Wow, this is so cool to hear what everyone else is doing,'" he says. "It was a chance to share ideas and was very powerful." Georgis realizes there's a lot that needs to be done and knows the entire sustainable food issue can be daunting. But he hopes to pinpoint the deficiencies in the local agricultural systems and to find ways to increase sustainable farming, decrease fuels costs and find positive solutions for labor and land availability. Elaine and Rich Andrews are Everybody Eats! volunteers and recently moved from South Boulder to a small farm out on east Jay Rd. Elaine is enthusiastic about the future. "Besides fun and profit, my main goal in becoming a new farmer is to increase access to healthy, local food for all in Boulder County," Elaine Andrews, an Everybody Eats! Volunteer who recently moved from South Boulder to a small farm out on east Jay Road and is enthusiastic about the future. "Everybody Eats! has already been a catalyst for getting the community to think about the safety of our seeds and resulting food supply," she says. "My hope is that Everybody Eats! will continue to bring together farmers and other involved groups toward creating a healthy food community that supports local producers and consumers. Well, that's all of us, isn't it?"
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