Clark County Citizens United leader doesn’t think much of local radishes
In case you missed it, I wrote an article for last Sunday’s paper about the state of agriculture in Clark County. Basically, agriculture has been in decline in the county for decades but appears to be showing new signs of viability, specifically for farmers who are marketing their products locally.
Carol Levanen, executive secretary of rural landowners advocacy group Clark County Citizens United, didn’t care for the article. Levanen periodically sends me emails criticizing my articles. But the one she sent me earlier this week was particularly choice, not just because of what she said, but because it was coming from someone who occupies a leadership position in an organization that advocates for rural landowners.
Anyways, here’s what Levanen thought about the article:
Folks I spoke to, didn’t even read the article, When they saw the picture and topic, they were not interested. Very few people in our communities are concerned about food. They know they can either grow it or buy it. The picture of the radishes to be sold at the Farmers Market, didn’t convince anyone. People know they can buy the same thing at the stores. Those radishes weren’t grown locally, they were trucked in from other places. This area doesn’t grow very good radishes.
An international carrot farmer in Woodland told us that she thought those markets were a joke. She claimed that very little of the produce sold at them came from local growers. She didn’t have anything good to say about them. It is just an expensive niche market for city folks, who don’t know any better. Take Care.
So there you have it: no one cares about food, local radishes aren’t very good and farmers markets are a joke for naive city folks.
Also, keep the emails coming, Carol!
