Why Everyone Should Eat Local
Kathy Christman, 57, owner of the family-owned business Gibson Produce. After family members were unable to continue running the business in 2000, Kathy and her husband Terry took ownership. Since then, Terry and Kathy have strived to give their surrounding communities the best quality produce, specialty items, and customer service.
Family is very important to Kathy and Terry Christman and Gibson Produce. With their whole family on board with the business, they are well-supported by family and friends making the atmosphere of Gibson produce very relaxed and inviting.
Gibson Produces opens their doors as soon as the first local cutting of asparagus comes off (usually late April to early May). During early spring, local produce is difficult to come by, so Kathy does her best to supply the best quality of out-of-state produce. But as the weather warms up and local farms start producing, Kathy stocks up and supplies the community with fresh and local produce.
Q & A
What made you decide to work for a local produce stand?
I kind of just fell into it. My cousins had it and were deciding to get out of the business, and my husband, Terry Christman, and I took it over.
Why is eating locally better than eating at a corporate chain?
Well, at my fruit stand, I haul everything in myself out of the Yakima Valley or the Kittitas Valley, so I know that it’s fresh and I know where it’s coming from.
Why should people support local farms and growers?
The food that they produce for us is better for us. It’s grown locally – it’s not going to be picked three weeks or even four weeks before it’s ready to be picked. It’s not shipped in containers from overseas and then sold in our stores to us.
What is the process of getting local produce to restaurants?
Unfortunately, I think most of the restaurants use Cisco or they use Charlie’s Produce; they use big corporate companies to bring in their produce. With my produce, I travel to Yakima anywhere from three to four days a week when we are in full swing, I have a pick up, I load my pick up and it’s about a 100-mile radius that I travel. Everything is fresh and picked that day for me.
What are the benefits of eating locally? (Health, environment, economy, etc.)
As for the health aspect, local food is fresher, like I said before, local produce isn’t going to be picked three to four weeks before it is ready and shipped in containers from overseas. There’s less spoilage with local produce too. For the environment, since I pick everything fresh, there’s less travel and less distance to Gibson Produce so we help the environment that way. Supporting local farms and growers boosts the local economy rather than giant corporations. It stays close to home.
Is there anything you would like to add?
I just wish everybody would support local people because without us little people, we’re not going to make it. We need all the help we can get.