These practices include such things as organic agriculture and integrated pest management. As consumers, United Methodist Women members can buy fresh fruits and vegetables from farmer's markets and at farm stands. They can join Community Supported Agriculture groups. These groups buy memberships to farms and in return are provided with fresh fruits and vegetables during the growing season and beyond. In some areas of the country there is a movement afoot called Congregational Supported Agriculture where members of churches support local farmers in their food production.
Congregations adopt a farmer who supplies church members with fresh food during the growing season.
Church potlucks can feature locally-grown foods bought from nearby farms. Urban and rural women can reach out to each other to create a just food system, which will in turn help clean up the environment. The future doesn't have to be a future dominated by industrialized agriculture and its accompanying spoiled air, water and soil. Denise O'Brien is coordinator of Women, Food, and Agriculture Network in Atlantic, Iowa. She is a member of United Methodist Women.