A lot of them are definitely hard to overcome, but making sure there's a market to guarantee farmers that they'll have income is key. Local is fantastic because that's what people are shifting towards. They are looking at how transportation issues are causing environmental damage, so local is key. At the same time, local is almost a niche market. It can give producers that edge, that extra amount of money they're going to make by not selling it to a wholesaler.
People will pay more for local. It has been proven at farmers markets and at farm gates. I know that lots of my neighbours put their produce out on a wagon and encourage people to come. They're making more money that way because they reduce the middleman. Basically it is straight from the farmer to the consumer.
I think that's an interesting way to head. We should look into that. I think it provides a lot more security. We know exactly where our food is coming from. And we would be able to support ourselves, which I think would be key, instead of relying on other countries--in my opinion.