SustainLane, a nonpartisdan online site promoting healthy and sustainable living, reported earlier this month on a survey of America's 50 most populous cities. The group measures the self-sufficiency of cities' economies, as well as their quality of life and their ability to create livable conditions in a fashion that can be maintained from generation to generation.
Fresno came in at No. 33, as The Bee reported June 1. We lost big points for bad air quality and poor public transit. The study also wondered aloud why there are so few farmers' markets in an area dominated by the nation's most productive agriculture. And it noted the irony of a city so close to majestic natural wonders that has so little park space of its own. See the full report here.
Appreciate your post, Russ. Curious, how do you like living in Fresno? The mountains sure are gorgeous just east of you. Warren Karlenzig, the director of the SustainLane US city rankings, just launched a blog on the sustainability of US cities. You should check out, if you have any questions regarding the ranking of Fresno:
http://warrenkarlenzig.com/
Ben
The paucity of farmer's markets (and total lack of any permanent one) is certainly a disappointment, but there are other sources of local food that the study may not have taken into account.
For example, there are a fair number of produce stands that sell strawberries and vegetables directly to the consumer. One can drive around the countryside and find farmers selling fruit and nuts or whatever else is in season. We have the farm store at Fresno State which sells fresh, local meat and milk along with produce.
And many of us can grow some of our own food. We have a small-to-medium sized lot, but with two small gardens and several fruit trees we are able to eat something almost every day that we grew ourselves. With our long growing season, there's something in the garden almost all year round.