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<DIV><FONT size=4>Below is the text of a press release I sent out today
highlighting the potential value of a local food system to the central Oklahoma
economy. Robert Waldrop</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Press Release – for immediate release February 2, 2006</DIV>
<DIV>
<P>WALDROP FINDS $722 MILLION TO BOOST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ECONOMY</P>
<P>For more information, contact Bob Waldrop, 405-613-4688, <A
href="mailto:bwaldrop@cox.net"><U><FONT
color=#0000ff>bwaldrop@cox.net</U></FONT></A></P>
<P>Website: <A href="http://www.bobwaldrop.net/"><U><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.bobwaldrop.net</U></FONT></A> </P>
<P>"Everyone talks about economic development, but too often we don’t see the
forest for the trees,:" says Bob Waldrop, candidate for mayor of Oklahoma City.
"Oklahoma City will prosper as central Oklahoma and the state of Oklahoma
prosper." This is why the Waldrop campaign for Mayor is highlighting the
seriously under-appreciated economic development possibilities of buying food
directly from farmers. </P>
<P>"If the population of Oklahoma County bought its beef, pork, poultry, fresh
vegetables, flour, butter, cheese, eggs, and milk directly from central Oklahoma
farmers, this would pump $722,668,000 into the marketplace, creating as much as
$2.1 BILLION in economic activity thanks to multiplier effects right here in
central Oklahoma.". Much of this money is being spent already, but it gets
siphoned off out of the area into the pockets of transnational food corporations
that control the food aggregation and processing markets. Waldrop says, "We get
the food, but the money disappears. By buying locally produced foods directly
from farmers, we get to eat the food and still have the money circulating in the
area."</P>
<P>Waldrop says, "Farmers generally receive 10 to 20 cents of the supermarket
food dollar, depending on the product. By shifting more of the food dollar
directly to the farmer, we strengthen the economy of central Oklahoma and that
boosts the economy of Oklahoma City. This city rises or falls with the
prosperity of the counties and towns that surround us. If we think we can become
a world city while the rural areas around us are falling off the economic map,
we need to understand that ‘denial’ is NOT a river in Egypt. Oklahoma has
thousands of part-time farmers, and the fastest and cheapest way to create jobs
in rural Oklahoma is to help those part-time farmers become full-time farmers
who sell direct to the public. More jobs in rural Oklahoma means more prosperity
in Oklahoma City."</P>
<P>Customers in cities can shop at farmers markets, they can use friends or
family in rural areas to contact local farmers, and they can use structures such
as the Oklahoma Food Cooperative (Waldrop is the President of the cooperative)
to make this almost as convenient as going to the grocery store. </P>
<P>Waldrop says, "Besides the economic advantages, meat from free ranging flocks
and herds tastes better than meats from the industrial food system. Oklahoma
grown vegetables and fruits are far superior than those shipped here from 2,000
miles away. All I have to do to prove this is put a plate in front of someone
and hand them a fork. We have bought nearly all of our meats, poultry, eggs,
cheese, flour, and vegetables directly from farmers for 2 years, and we aren’t
going back to mystery meat and mooshy tomatoes. So it’s not as if anybody is
being asked to sacrifice anything here. Local food is the next big thing in
food, just ask any chef."</P>
<P>"While everybody isn’t going to wake up tomorrow and change their food buying
habits, every dollar spent directly with a farmer creates up to $3 in economic
activity and puts more of the original dollar into the farmer’s pocket. That is
good business for the farmer, and it is even better business for the city,
because where do the farmers go to spend their money? They go to the city," says
Waldrop.</P>
<P>If elected Mayor, Waldrop promises to work with the State to change certain
state regulations which make it difficult for farmers to sell some products
directly to the public. Supporting Oklahoma farmers and creating local food
systems should become a priority with Oklahoma City economic development
planners. The City can set a good example by serving local foods at city events,
making sure that local foods are sold and used at venues such as the Ford and
Cox Centers, provide space on favorable terms for farmers markets throughout the
city, and work with the school system, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture,
and the Oklahoma Food Policy Council to get Oklahoma food into school
cafeterias.</P>
<P>DETAILS OF THE $722M LOCAL FOOD INDUSTRY POTENTIAL IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:</P>
<P>Oklahoma County population: 680,000</P>
<P>US beef consumption per capita: 65 lbs</P>
<P>Oklahoma County beef consumption: 44.2M lbs</P>
<P>Value at $3.75/lb average price: $165.9 Million</P>
<P>Number of steers required/year: 126,437</P>
<P>Note: As the local food marketplace develops, buffalo is likely to become
increasingly important. It tastes as good as beef, but has less fat and
cholesterol than chicken. The Waldrop household uses as much buffalo as it does
beef. Waldrop says, "Chicken fried buffalo steak is great!"</P>
<P>PORK</P>
<P>US pork consumption per capita: 51 lbs</P>
<P>Oklahoma County pork consumption: 34.7 million pounds</P>
<P>Value at $2.10/lb: $72.9 M</P>
<P>POULTRY</P>
<P>US poultry consumption per capita: 82 lbs</P>
<P>Oklahoma County poultry consumption: 55.8 million</P>
<P>Value at $2/lb: $111.6 million</P>
<P>TURKEY</P>
<P>US turkey consumption per capita: 13 lbs</P>
<P>Oklahoma County turkey consumption: 8.8 million lbs</P>
<P>Value at $2.50/lb: $22.1 million</P>
<P>EGGS</P>
<P>US egg consumption per capita: 21 dozen</P>
<P>Oklahoma county egg consumption: 14.3 million dozen</P>
<P>Value at $3/dozen: $42.9 million</P>
<P>MILK</P>
<P>US milk consumption per capita: 24 gallons</P>
<P>Oklahoma County milk consumption: 16.3 million gallons</P>
<P>Value at $3/gallon: $49 million</P>
<P>FRESH VEGETABLES:</P>
<P>US fresh vegetable consumption per capita: 195 lbs</P>
<P>Oklahoma County fresh vegetable consumption: 132.7 million lbs</P>
<P>Value at $1/lb: $132.7 Million</P>
<P>FLOUR</P>
<P>US flour consumption per capita: 138 lbs</P>
<P>Oklahoma County flour consumption: 93.9 million lbs</P>
<P>Value at 50 cents/lb: $46.9 Million</P>
<P>CHEESE</P>
<P>US cheese consumption per capita: 30 lbs</P>
<P>Oklahoma County cheese consumption: 20.4 million lbs</P>
<P>Value at $3.50/lb: $71.5 million</P>
<P>BUTTER</P>
<P>US butter consumption per capita: 4.2 lbs</P>
<P>Oklahoma County butter consumption: 2.8 million pounds</P>
<P>Value at $2.50/lb: $7.1 million</P>
<P>Sources:</P>
<P>Per capita consumption figures: Economic Research Service of the US
Department of Agriculture, available online at
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/foodconsumption/FoodAvailSpreadsheets.htm#mtredsu
.</P>
<P>Economic multiplier effects of local food purchases: Oxfam America, citing
USDA research,
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/where_we_work/united_states/news_publications/food_farm/art2564.html
.</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>