How is sustainable development in practice?

http://www.kootenaygraincsa.ca/about/

An example of sustainable development is the Kootenay Grain CSA. It was initiated by Matt Lowe when he attempted to do the 100 mile diet. He found that one of the hardest aspects of the diet was access to grain. There was no locally grain grown in the region. For this reason, he decided to create a grain CSA in the Kootenay region.  He determined how much interest was in the region, and found a couple of farmers that were willing to grow the grain. The CSA began with 100 shareholders, and has progressed from there.

Shareholders can purchase a full share, 100 pounds of grain, or a half share consisting of 50 pounds of grain.  In consultation with the shareholders, a variety of grain was grown by local farmers who had pledged to grow the crops organically even though they are not certified organic. One farmer is looking into incorporating the use of horses into his farming practices. The money from the shares goes directly to the farmers, acting as a consistent salary and ensuring job security. It also ensures that all of the shareholders and farmers bear the burden of crop loss or damage.

http://www.kootenaygraincsa.ca/news-and-events/

Once the grain is harvested in Creston BC it is transported to north to Nelson BC. Several members of the local sailing club offered use of their sail boats to transport a portion of the grain up the Kootenay Lake to the final offloading. The remaining grain that did not fit on the boats was transported by truck.

Cooking classes were offered by local women in the community to teach shareholders how to use the different types of grain that were being produced. During the cooking classes, baby sitting was offered by local teens.

The grain is not milled prior to distribution to the shareholders. To facilitate milling of the grain, there have been several small mills set up locally, and shareholders can get grain milled as required.

The grain CSA can be considered sustainable development as it demonstrates the joining of communities to move towards a common good. A need for local grain was identified, and members of the community joined together to fill that need.

The grain CSA is able to reduce the carbon footprint of the grain. As it is grow and harvested local to where it is consumed, rather than shipped from across the country, fewer fossil fuels are burnt. The CSA also improves the diversity of the foods present within the region.

The Kootenay grain CSA has the potential to be scaled up, but its success is hinged on its small scale. There is a greater likelihood of it continuing to succeed if it kept at the same scale, however the model may have potential to work in other areas with similar characteristics.

The communities of Nelson and Creston BC have broken their dependence on commercially grown grains. The grain CSA provides a more wholesome grain source to the communities.