This holiday season The Bee's editorial board asked local residents this question, "What is the most important lesson that Sacramento or the region should take from 2007, and how can it be applied next year?"

The following is from Nancyjo Riekse, Placer County agricultural marketing director:

This was the fourth year of the Placer County Farm & Barn Tour, and I was amazed at how many visitors had never been to a working farm or knew there were small working farms and ranches that produced food that could be purchased directly.

Many people are aware of the large corporate agricultural producers seen along the freeways, where the farmers fly overhead to view their fields and monitor the watering and feeding systems through advanced technology. However, most small farms are nestled back among the hills and down the dirt roads. The have been worked for generations by family, friends and relatives who walk their fields. They know every inch of their land.

In the past year, large grocery chains started using "farmers markets" to describe their produce aisles, touting locally grown. But in today's world, what does "local" or "organic" really mean?

It is interesting to see how the media and consumers respond to these two very powerful words. "Local" could mean anywhere within the United States, "organic" could also mean coming from within the United States but also from halfway around the world. It's time for the media and consumers to make a link between farmers producing a product and where food is grown. People really want that emotional connection!

Consumers are starting to realize that the future of the small, local, family-operated sustainable farm is in their hands. Many are taking that small step to becoming a sustainable consumer by purchasing directly from a farm, going to their local farmers market and asking their local restaurant and grocery stores: "What's local? Where did it come from? What's fresh? And what's its story?"

With their support of a "locavorian" (100-mile) diet, people can put dollars back into their working landscapes and keep the farms and ranches open for generations to come. To insure local stays "local," we have to keep asking the question in 2008: "Where did this come from and how was it grown?"