#farmerfridays: Food Wisdom with Wayne Roberts

A few staff members from Seven Valleys Health Coalition (SVHC) recently had the wonderful opportunity to hear Wayne Roberts talk about people-centered and city-centered food policy and "actionism". 

Over the past decade, SVHC has been tirelessly learning about food systems and working towards becoming a community that is food-secure. Meaning that everyone in Cortland County has reliable access to healthy foods which are affordable and sustaining to their needs. 

Roberts shared several key points that we thought were fitting to pass on with you today as a part of #farmerfridays. While we love hearing about our local growers and producers, we also desire to help enlarge the vision of what a food system truly includes-- habits, norms, transportation, policy, marketing, and purchasing, all which can be equally as impacting to our plates as the crops themselves. 

So read on, dear folks, and soak in the wit and wisdom we picked up yesterday from the "happy Canadian" who has over 30 years of food and economic experience and is labeled as one of Toronto's leading visionaries. 

Be a Solutionary: Bring positive energy to your local food system problems. Being a happy warrior has more impact and makes more headway than being a defensive, pessimistic, or prickly one. 

Food is a Many-Splendored Thing: Food helps to create relationships, which in turn help to create a healthy community and touches all aspects of life--health, economy, environment, community, culture, and self-empowerment.

Food is the Solution for Any Community or Structural Issue: 

Either by a meal shared or a community garden grown, food is the ultimate bridge builder. Ask not what food can do for the cities, but what cities can do for food!

Gratitude is a Cardinal Virtue Which Can be Leveraged Through Food: Food gives us an occasion to celebrate humanity as it is often linked to love and thankfulness. How can we use our food choices and purchasing power to support others? Are we opening our eyes to the abundance that surrounds us by supporting our neighbor--both near and far? "A cheerful heart has a continual feast!"

Looking to know about Roberts and his food-centered thoughts? Check out his website at www.wayneroberts.ca or follow him on Facebook.