48: Eating Seasonally & Local: Why It Matters More Than Ever | JM Fortier

In this solo episode, Jean-Martin Fortier celebrates his 48th birthday by reflecting on his 24-year journey as a market gardener. He revisits the foundational influence of Eliot Coleman’s The New Organic Grower, emphasizing how the "agricultural craftsmanship" of small-scale farming offers a meaningful alternative to industrial food production. The core of the episode outlines three guiding "North Stars" for the movement: reclaiming the integrity of the organic label, strengthening local food sheds to keep money in the community, and embracing seasonality as a social value. Jean-Martin argues that eating in-season from local greenhouses and root cellars creates a "good food revolution" that is impossible for industrial systems to replicate. He concludes by calling on farmers to stay rooted in their communities and fight for a food system defined by proximity, ecology, and joy.Timestamps [0:00] Intro[04:18] Birthday reflections: 24 years of hustling, dreaming, and the "Good Food Revolution"[06:33] Current projects: Research at FQT farm and the Old Mill garden[08:58] Returning to the source: The enduring influence of Eliot Coleman’s The New Organic Grower[12:24] Trends in the movement: From the pressure to scale up to mastering the small-scale model[14:10] Agricultural Craftsmanship: Why growing food is a practice of presence, not industry[19:43] North Star #1: Reclaiming "Organic" and fighting off the dilution of the label[27:32] North Star #2: The power of locality and keeping wealth within the community[33:21] North Star #3: Seasonality as a tool for health, ethics, and community celebration[41:27] Summary: Building a future of proximity, ecology, and back-to-basics joy SponsorsReal Organic Project: Get Involved. Get Certified. Join the movement to fight the co-opting of organic.Thinkific: Built for the Business of Learning.Activevista: Specialised Tools and Seeds for Diversified Crop and Home GrowersLinks/ResourcesMarket Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass Newsletter:  https://themarketgardener.com/newsletterBlog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog Books: https://themarketgardener.com/booksGrowers & Co: https://growers.coHeirloom: https://heirloom.ag/The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/Follow UsWebsite: http://themarketgardener.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners Guest Social Media LinksJM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortierFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier