Article By Tiffany Woods About a New Film on the Local Food Movement: ‘Ingredients’

The following article was sent to us from our friend Tiffany Woods. We'd like to thank Tiffany for sharing this great piece with us. Also included are links to articles on local food by Economist Larry Lev, and a link to tools for 'rapid market assessments'. If you have an article, announcement, event, or anything else you would like posted on beginningfarmers.org, please write to us at beginningfarmers@gmail.com. Tiffany Woods News writer Oregon State University 9-24-09 OSU economist debuts in film about local food movement By Tiffany Woods, 541-737-2940, tiffany.woods@oregonstate.edu Source: Larry Lev, 541-737-1417, larry.lev@oregonstate.edu CORVALLIS, Ore. ­ An agricultural economist at Oregon State University has hit the silver screen in a new documentary that examines and promotes the local food movement and that will show in Portland starting on Friday. In the film "Ingredients," Larry Lev discusses the benefits and costs of buying food from local producers. He says that although some local products may cost more than food transported from large-scale commercial operations, the extra expense can be worth it. The taste can be superior, and the money shoppers spend stays in the area and contributes to the vitality of the community, he says. By shopping locally, people are also keeping agricultural land from being developed and they're establishing close relationships with farmers and fellow consumers, he adds. "In the end, it comes down to choices. Price is one aspect that consumers take into account, but it's not the only one and often not the most important one," says Lev, who was filmed on campus.

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Lev, who has worked at OSU for 25 years, specializes in agricultural
marketing and alternative food systems. He also works with colleagues in the
OSU Extension Service’s Small Farms Program to develop and strengthen
farmers markets. He was asked to appear in the documentary because he had
worked with one of the members of the film crew on various projects,
including workshops to match chefs with farmers.

“Larry gave us a lot of great information to work with,” said the film’s
producer and cinematographer, Brian Kimmel, who lives in Portland. “The most
important thing he did was describe how this whole economics system works
with the local food movement. A lot of the people are looking at this and
saying, ‘Yes, this is something we want but it’s too expensive.’ Larry’s
experience shows otherwise. It was great to have Larry to fall back on and
say, ‘This does make sense and here’s how.'”

“Ingredients,” which premiered in Germany and won a Silver Sierra Award in
the documentary category at this year’s Yosemite Film Festival, shows the
farmers and chefs around the country who are revitalizing the connection
between food and the land. It features diversified farms of the Willamette
and Hudson River valleys, the urban food deserts of Harlem, and the kitchen
of Alice Waters.

In addition to Lev, other Oregonians featured in the film include: Portland
chefs Greg Higgins and Pascal Sauton; Anthony and Carol Boutard of Ayers
Creek Farm in Gaston; John Eveland of Gathering Together Farm in Philomath;
Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed, also in Philomath; farmer Laura Masterson
of 47th Avenue Farm in Portland; John Neumeister of Cattail Creek Lamb in
Junction City; farmers Sheldon Marcuvitz and Carole Laity of Your Kitchen
Garden in Canby; Shari Sirkin of Dancing Roots Farm in Troutdale; and former
Lake Oswego Mayor Judie Hammerstad.

The film will screen at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25 and 5 p.m. on Sept. 26 and 27 at
the Bagdad Theater in Portland.

To buy a DVD or find out how to organize a screening of the film in your
community, go to www.ingredientsfilm.com.

More information about Larry Lev’s work appears in two articles from
Oregon’s Agricultural Progress magazine at:
https://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/fall-2003/finding-their-niche
https://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/fall-1998/fresh-place

Additionally, Lev has co-authored the following online publications on
farmers markets:

When Things Don¹t Work: Some Insights into Why Farmers¹ Markets Close
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/sr/sr1073-e.pdf

Understanding the Link Between Farmers¹ Market Size and Management
Organization
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/SR/SR1082-E.pdf

Tools for Rapid Market Assessments
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/SR/SR1088-E.pdf