There is a growing movement connecting farmers with consumers.

Newspaper coverage of last week’s “Chemicals, Obesity and Diabetes: How Science Leads Us to Action” forum held at Colby College should act as a serious wake-up call for all of us.

Maine Medical Center pediatrician Dr. Michael Dedekian did not mince words when he dubbed obesity “the major public health issue of our time.” Scientists speaking at the forum shared sobering news — not only are we victims of our bad dietary habits, but many of us are metabolically sabotaged before we’re born, most likely from exposure to everyday chemicals we’ve come to find so handy.

But let’s look at the bright side. Here in Western Maine, we have a growing movement connecting farmers with individual consumers and institutions that is making a direct link with the health benefits of eating fresh local food.

Good Food for Lewiston is sponsored by St. Mary’s Regional Hospital and is doing cutting-edge, inclusive community food system work, led by Kirsten Walter and Annie Doran.

A farm-to-institution pilot project will be conducted this year in Western Maine under the leadership of Ken Morse, director of Healthy Oxford Hills and president of the Maine Network of Healthy Communities. Morse also represents Maine on the Farm to Institution of New England steering committee and Maine’s Farm to School Network.

The town of Strong is working with Geneva Wood Fuels to explore using excess steam heat in the winter to grow food.

Those are but a few examples.

On the national level, we can be proud of our congressional delegation. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins prevented a misguided potato-limiting school lunch rule from being adopted by the USDA recently, and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree is about to introduce a local and regional food system title proposal to the 2012 Farm Bill reauthorization debate.

We have to get back to what used to work and can work well again — feeding ourselves.

Scientists of conscience at the national level are taking action to tackle the “major public health issue of our time.”

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is leading the national coalition promoting Food Day on Monday, Oct. 24, to raise public awareness of the very strong link between our health and what we eat.

To be sure, we are victims of our choices — whether through public policy, such as our decades of sugar and grain subsidies, enabling the least nutritious foods to be the cheapest — or through our choices, when we pass by a farmers market full of fresh produce and pick up candy and soda at the convenience store.

Of course, occasional indulgence will not cause lasting health effects, but chronic intake of highly processed foods supplied by a long-distance food chain is bad for our health, our rural economy and our environment.

The obesity epidemic is a significant and rapidly rising factor in our out-of-control health care costs (8 percent of our national health care expenditures, or $75 billion — about 25 times Maine’s annual state budget).

Plus, being obese is no fun. Obesity makes us prone to diabetes and numerous other ailments. Its direct and indirect economic impacts include reduced worker productivity, strained MaineCare, Medicare, hospital and household budgets, and increased health care premiums (putting a burden on businesses and individuals).

So what’s the answer?

Get to know local farmers and fishermen.

One of the easy actions we all can take is to migrate our diets to more healthy, local, fresh food. Many delicious and nutritious foods are in season right now that are being grown in or near where people live.

And now it’s easy to find fresh Maine food and fish. Here’s how: For a directory of farmers markets, visit www.getrealmaine.com. See www.mofga.org for information on the 160 farms issuing food shares to customers (community-supported agriculture), where you can very clearly know your farmer and contract for fresh, local food.

For so many compelling reasons — among them taste, health, economy, community and environment — Maine’s local food system movement is growing. Gov. Paul LePage has declared Oct. 24 to be Food Day in Maine, and Maine Rural Partners is pleased to be serving as Maine state coordinator.

From planting garlic at school gardens to potluck suppers, there are many ways to join your neighbors in celebrating local food during the next week. Make it a habit.

Mary Ann Hayes is executive director of Maine Rural Partners, connecting community-based food, energy and health solutions for a vibrant rural Maine.

Editor’s note: For a comprehensive listing of all local food sources, go to eatmainefoods.org. To find a Food Day event, go to.mainerural.org, or contact Isobel Moiles, Rural Health Network coordinator, by email at: [email protected].