Fellow Munsonian Bryan Preston writes...

I'm trying to raise awareness about a bill recently introduced in the Indiana legislature by Sen. Sue Errington: SB 194.  It can be viewed here:
http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2010/IN/IN0194.1.html

If enacted, it would create an Indiana Local & Organic Food & Farm Task Force which would research ways in which Indiana could make its food system more local.  This legislation is directly modeled after this legislation passed in Illinois:
http://foodfarmsjobs.org/

Here are a few points that I think we can continually touch upon:
A more local and organic food economy would have the potential to
1) create more jobs, encouraging entrepreneurship,
2) improve the economy of rural communities,
3) improve public health with better available food supply and remediation of “food deserts,”

4) create a less vulnerable food system (i.e. "homeland security"),
5) decrease energy usage (reduction of transportation/storage costs),

6) improve food quality: fresher, more local produce.