48: Eating Seasonally & Local: Why It Matters More Than Ever | JM Fortier

<p>In this solo episode, Jean-Martin Fortier celebrates his 48th birthday by reflecting on his 24-year journey as a market gardener. He revisits the foundational influence of Eliot Coleman’s <em>The New Organic Grower</em>, emphasizing how the "agricultural craftsmanship" of small-scale farming offers a meaningful alternative to industrial food production. The core of the episode outlines three guiding "North Stars" for the movement: reclaiming the integrity of the organic label, strengthening local food sheds to keep money in the community, and embracing seasonality as a social value. Jean-Martin argues that eating in-season from local greenhouses and root cellars creates a "good food revolution" that is impossible for industrial systems to replicate. He concludes by calling on farmers to stay rooted in their communities and fight for a food system defined by proximity, ecology, and joy.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Timestamps </strong></p><p>[0:00] Intro</p><p>[04:18] Birthday reflections: 24 years of hustling, dreaming, and the "Good Food Revolution"</p><p>[06:33] Current projects: Research at FQT farm and the Old Mill garden</p><p>[08:58] Returning to the source: The enduring influence of Eliot Coleman’s <em>The New Organic Grower</em></p><p>[12:24] Trends in the movement: From the pressure to scale up to mastering the small-scale model</p><p>[14:10] Agricultural Craftsmanship: Why growing food is a practice of presence, not industry</p><p>[19:43] North Star #1: Reclaiming "Organic" and fighting off the dilution of the label</p><p>[27:32] North Star #2: The power of locality and keeping wealth within the community</p><p>[33:21] North Star #3: Seasonality as a tool for health, ethics, and community celebration</p><p>[41:27] Summary: Building a future of proximity, ecology, and back-to-basics joy </p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Sponsors</strong></p><p><strong></strong><a href="https://realorganicproject.org/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Real Organic Project:</strong></a><strong> </strong>Get Involved. Get Certified. Join the movement to fight the co-opting of organic.</p><p><a href="https://www.thinkific.com/?utm_source=market-gardener&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=november_mg_podcast_ad" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Thinkific:</strong></a> Built for the Business of Learning.</p><p><a href="https://www.activevista.com.au/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Activevista</strong></a>