Northland College

Northland College
  • Academics
  • Campus Life
  • Admissions
  • Athletics
  • Centers
  • Sustainability
Search
  • Contact Us
  • Campus Map
  • Calendar
  • Alumni
  • Giving
  • News
More...
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate
    • Faculty
    • Resources
    • Opportunities
      • Internships
      • Undergraduate Research
      • Study Abroad
      • Off-campus Learning
      • Student Jobs
    • Graduate Success
    • Course Catalog
    • Transcript Request
    • Commencement
  • Campus Life
    • Dining
    • Housing
    • Outdoor Orientation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Indigenous Cultures Center
        • Native Student Offerings
        • Powwow & Awareness
        • Community Outreach
        • Native American Museum
    • Get Involved
    • Bicycles & Gear Rental
    • Fitness Center
    • Services
      • Counseling Services
      • Accommodations
      • Health Services
      • Safety & Security
  • Admissions
    • Visit Campus
    • Tuition
    • Financial Aid
      • Scholarships
      • Grants
      • Loans
      • FAFSA
      • Veterans
    • Enroll
    • Meet Your Admissions Counselor
    • Virtual College Fairs
    • High School Counselor Visits
  • Athletics
    • Athletic Website
    • Athletic Facilities
    • Varsity Club Membership
    • Buy Team Gear
    • Hall of Fame
    • Annual Golf Classic
    • Camps, Leagues, Tournaments
      • 3on3 Basketball Tournament
      • Basketball Camps & Leagues
      • Men’s Soccer ID Camp
      • Youth Soccer Camp
      • Softball Camp
      • Volleyball Camps & Leagues
    • Give to Athletics
  • Centers
    • Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation
      • Our Work
      • Student Research Opportunities
      • Lab Services
      • Burke Center in the News
      • Water Summit
    • Center For Rural Communities
      • Rural Livelihood Initiatives
        • Quality of Life Database
        • Northwoods Community Survey
        • Opinion Polls
        • Local Food Systems
      • Human-Environment Connection
      • Great Lakes Islands Alliance
      • Publications
      • Data Visualizations
      • Student Opportunities
    • Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
      • LoonWatch
        • About Loons
        • Protect Loons
        • Get Involved
        • Loon Appreciation Week & Poster
      • Timber Wolf Alliance
        • Wolf Awareness Week & Poster
        • Learn About Wolves
        • Wolf Status Reports
        • Vision for Wolves
        • Great Lakes Wolf Symposium
      • Youth Outreach Programs
      • SONWA Book Awards
        • Sonwa Press Kit
      • Sigurd Olson Legacy
      • Apostle Islands Stewardship Symposium
      • Intangible Magazine
      • Forest Lodge Educational Campus
        • Rental Information
    • Hulings Rice Food Center
      • Compost Center
      • Larson Food Lab
      • Campus Gardens
      • Student Opportunities
  • Sustainability
  • Alumni
    • Events & Awards
    • Leadership
    • Transcript Request
    • Campus Store
  • Giving
    • Your Gifts at Work
    • Planned Giving
    • Northland College Face Mask
    • Christopher T. Morgan Scholarship
    • Meet Our Team
  • About Northland
    • President Karl I. Solibakke
    • Northland Magazine
    • Campus Sculpture Tour
    • Advocacy & Public Discourse
    • Consumer Information

Local Food Important to Northern Wisconsin Residents

March 23, 2017

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • email

The majority of households in northern Wisconsin get their food from a diversity of sources and purchase food directly from farmers, according to the most recent Northland College Public Opinion Poll.

“The results show a northern culture of supporting local farms, sharing, producing, and gathering food—and an overwhelming 89.6 percent think people should choose food produced locally whenever possible,” said Brandon Hofstedt, faculty director of the Center for Rural Communities.

The Northland College Center for Rural Communities (CRC) conducted a poll of residents in the ten northernmost Wisconsin counties between December 2016 and January 2017. Pollsters asked 444 participants questions about where and how they get their food, how much of their food comes from those sources, from where they would like to get more food, and their general attitudes and values toward food.

More than two-thirds of respondents—68.3 percent—identified feeding their families from four or more different food sources.

“In other words, we have a regional food system that has the potential for weathering economic or environmental impacts—something referred to as resilience,” Hofstedt said.

Not surprisingly, stores are the most common and the largest source of food—some 77 percent stated they get most of their food from stores.

What is interesting is where people get the rest of their food. “While a poll like this has not been done in other places, I strongly suspect that getting food locally in these ways is a distinct north woods quality,” Hofstedt said.

Seventy-five percent of participants get food directly from farmers—on the farm, off-farm food stands, through community supported agriculture (CSA), farmer’s markets, or pick your own.

Some 65.6 percent get food by hunting, fishing, or gathering—ricing, tapping trees, gathering forest fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

Some 58.5 percent grow fruits or vegetables, or raise animals for meat or products.

And 33.4 percent get food by sharing, exchanging, or by donation.

“These activities contribute to the diversity, resilience, and culture of the north woods food system,” said Robin Kemkes, research associate at the Center for Rural Communities. “For this reason, access to land is important for maintaining food security and a way of life.”

In fact, of those who hunt, fish, or gather food, 82.2 percent agree with the statement, “The state of Wisconsin should not sell public areas that are used for hunting, fishing, and gathering.”

Overall, 77.2 percent of all participants agreed public lands should be not sold.

In addition to prioritizing local food, nearly all households share healthy food values—that people have a right to know what’s in their food and that health is one of the most important factors for their household when making food choices.

The data not only indicate recognition of the importance of local foods but opportunity as well. Nearly 42 percent said they would like to get more of their food from farmers. “The hunger for local food does not seem to be satiated,” said Matt O’Laughlin, research associate at the Center for Rural Communities.

The poll identified the reasons households don’t buy more food directly from farms—seasonal limitations (41 percent), not knowing a farmer or where to find a farm (38.5 percent), too far away (26.7 percent), and not having time (25.4 percent).

“All of these barriers, though real, are not insurmountable,” Kemkes said. “With an already burgeoning local foods environment in northern Wisconsin, this shows there is potential for additional growth in the local food system, especially in stores where most people go for food.”

A summary of results can be viewed at northland.edu/polling. The margin of error is +/-4.6 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Founded in January of 2015, the CRC applies research-based solutions to social and economic challenges, partners with community members to build on local knowledge, and promotes the long-term health and vitality of rural communities in the north woods region.

  • Visit
  • Info
  • Apply
  • Enroll

News

  • The Chequamegon Bay Region Spoke and the IJC Listened

    In September of 2019, the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation…

  • COVID Campus Communication

    » Read our COVID Campus Plan » Read our Campus COVID FAQ…

  • Your Family Veterinarian

    Margaret Koosmann ’10 grew up on a five-generation beef farm, twenty minutes…

  • Embracing the North

    Robert Rue Parsonage, Northland’s president from 1987-2002, made an imprint as indelible…

  • IJC Releases Recommendations

    The United States and Canada should work together to eliminate blue-green algae…

  • All You Have to Do Is Ask

    At a small school, connections are easily made, and countless doors can…

  • Platypuses Capture Worldwide Imagination

    Northland faculty and alumni have created a well-needed bit of fun in…

  • Alumni Sew Masks for Incoming Students

    When the pandemic hit, Nancy Carey Mullenbrock ’78 got to work doing…

  • Rethinking Plantation Tourism 

    I remember the first time I was invited to visit a plantation…

  • Peter Annin Recognized for Excellence

    The Great Lakes Protection Fund—the world’s first ecosystem endowment—named three individuals and…

News Archive »

1411 Ellis Avenue
Ashland, WI 54806
(715) 682-1699 | Map
  • About Northland
  • Consumer Information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Take a Class
  • Employment
  • Campus Store

my.northland.edu

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 Northland College. All rights reserved.

https://www.northland.edu/news/local-food-important-northern-wisconsin-residents

Our website uses cookies for necessary functions and to enhance your browsing experience. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.

Accept & Continue