Food Security in Clark County - Deston Denniston

Deston Denniston has just started posting a series of reports on food security in Clark County over on his blog, Gardens in the Forest. This is some serious writing on a serious subject here folks. If you are someone who cares about food security, local agriculture, Clark County, the health of our community, or the safety of your family this is a must read. It's only too bad that our mainstream journalists have not been so outspoken about these issues. However, to give some credit to our local fishwrapper, the number of pro-local ag articles they've published over the last couple of years has substantially increased. Let's hope that one or two of them read Deston's food security series, pick up the ball, and run with it. This is a subject that we as a community cannot afford to ignore any longer.

Here's a little teaser from Deston's report for you:

Food Security in Clark County
an essay in parts, this being the first, the others above....

Preface

The report "Exploring the Clark County Food System" (1) clarifies in the exhaustive detail the situation and trends of Clark County food systems. They are, in many cases, failing to meet basic nutrition needs. As the recession escalates, these systems are prepared to deliver products which decrease the health of county residents, compound environmental degradation, and ship $700M out of the local economy annually. In other words, these systems will continue, barring some drastic and immediate changes, result in an overall and potentially catastrophic decline in quality of life. The good news is that these trends have leverage points and can be addressed and reversed; jobs can be created, our relative economy can prosper and ecology can be invigorated. The following essay, delivered in multiple installations, will look at current and key Clark county indicators, policy and practices, and follow up with input on strategies and key potentials which will provide opportunity for a halt and reversal of these disturbing trends.

Read the rest of the report by clicking here.