Create food resilience beyond federal support

Published in The Oregonian November 27, 20025

Most people rarely think about where their food comes from—the months it takes to grow or the systems that bring it to our plates. A friend’s 4-year-old once told me he thought food came from an app. It’s funny but reveals a real disconnect. Our industrialized food system makes it easy to overlook both how food is produced and how many of our neighbors lack reliable access.

The recent government shutdown made that invisibility impossible to ignore. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture halted operations, farmers and families were suddenly cut off from essentials. The shutdown didn’t create instability, but it exposed how fragile the system already is. When federal systems fail, the burden lands on the people who grow our food and the families who are already struggling.

Focusing on issues like banning artificial dyes may change the color of a cheese puff, but it doesn’t touch the deeper problem: nutritious food is increasingly out of reach. Too many families must rely on cheap, highly processed foods that come with hidden health risks.

Nutrition is not a luxury. It is preventive care, stability and quality of life. Real food security means knowing where our food comes from and ensuring access.

To build resilience, Oregon must strengthen parts of our food system that don’t depend on federal dollars. That means supporting small farms, food hubs, co-ops and community organizations, investing in local procurement, and expanding Food is Medicine programs. These are choices we can make now, regardless of what happens in Washington.

Laura Dean, Portland