Southern SOIL
Table Talk
need within the community to share information and connect with others who were also moving away from conventional foods and exploring other options. Connie founded the Waygreen Homestead Guild as a means of bringing like-minded people together and she has taken a leadership role in growing the local food movement in her community. The following is her perspective on a series of questions regarding the sustainable, local food system in Southeast Georgia. What does the current food system look like here
E 12
in Southeast Georgia? ACH ISSUE OF SOUTHERN SOIL WILL FEATURE A CONVERSATION WITH IN-
For the most part, our current food system looks a
DIVIDUALS REPRESENTING DIFFERENT
lot like it has for the past 25 years or so. Most of
PERSPECTIVES ALONG THE FOOD SUPPLY
the foods that people consume are produced hun-
LINE. THIS ISSUE FEATURES CONNIE OLIVER,
dreds or even thousands of miles away, processed
A COMMUNITY EDUCATOR, LOCAL GARDENER,
so that it will be stable for a long transport and an
SPEAKER AND ORGANIZER IN HER HOMETOWN
even longer shelf life. People continue to purchase
OF WAYCROSS GEORGIA.
what is made available with convenience, cost and what “tastes good” overriding nutritional value and
Connie enjoys sharing her passion for growing
health benefits or the lack thereof to those who
good local food as well as supporting and encour-
consume them.
aging others to do the same. She is the founder of WayGreen, Co Chair of Slow Food South Georgia,
Over the past five years, however, we have been
a member of Georgia Organics, Georgia Farmers
seeing small changes occur in our local food
Market Association, Georgia Grown and serves as a
system through the efforts of a growing number of
curator for The Lexicon Of Sustainability.
local growers, farmers, producers and community volunteers.
Connie’s personal journey toward sustainable food began as a means of addressing health concerns
What do you think a locally sourced, sustainable
for herself and her family. As she started changing
food system should look like here in Southeast
her eating and shopping habits, people she had
Georgia?
known for years and even perfect strangers started asking questions.
I think it would involve more people growing their own food using sustainable practices, teaching oth-
Conversations in the grocery aisle highlighted a
ers to do the same and making their products avail-
