To the editor:

It appears that both the County Commission and the Chamber of Commerce are ignoring one avenue of economic development that is right under our noses. They are not actively encouraging increased production and consumption of locally grown food.

Yes, there is a coordinator for the farmers’ market. That’s good, a step in the right direction. They could follow the example set in the Cedar Valley in Iowa, and hire a part-time coordinator. Their coordinator, who is now full time, matches up locally grown food with needs of the many local restaurants, groceries and institutional kitchens. During the past 10 years their sales of locally produced foods have increased from $100,000 to $1 million. (With flooding it will probably be down this year.) Nevertheless, they believe that, in time, local food sales can go to $40 million – 10 percent of food spending in their areas.

Is this – local sales of 10 percent of our food budget – a useful goal for the local economy? I think it is. It won’t happen accidentally. Some leadership is needed to get all the players coordinated, and to encourage increased food production.

Mark Larson,

Lawrence