Being Vocal about Buying Local

Now that I have spent 25 days attempting to eat local it is time to be vocal about the experience.

First Lesson: Eating local is easier said than done. Try finding anything but carrots, potatoes, onions and cabbage at this time of year in our Canadian climate. Local acorn squash are hard to find although still available at the local farmer's market. Garlic on the other hand even from the farmer's market is sourced from China or some other offshore country. Although to counter this the seller's are advertising that the garlic is organic. Does this justify sourcing from another country?

Second lesson: Although the choices are limited, it makes meal planning extra simple and forces me to check out new recipes to use the few local vegetables that are still readily available.

Third Lesson: One needs to ask a lot of questions to drill down to the source of everything we buy. And often those who should be able to provide answers are more in the dark than we are. Pursuing the trail of truth about the source of food items is frustrating even for a committed environmentalist. But don't let that deter you from giving the relocalization effort a try.

A New Year's Challenge

Christmas presents can lead one to being the change they wish to see in the world. One of my Christmas gifts was a copy of the book The 100-Mile Diet. I read it before the end of Boxing Day. And being the take action, jump in with both feet, type of person that I am, starting today, January 1, I began the journey of someone living on a 100-Mile Diet. Shouldn't be too difficult, eh?

Oh wait a minute, I live in Canada - citrus fruits, pineapples, bananas, don't grow in my backyard and certainly not within 100 miles. Oh yes, I also am a vegetarian - much of my protein is from nuts, beans, cheese and eggs. Shouldn't be too bad except I am not sure the source of anything other than the cheese and eggs. And what about my morning coffee and afternoon tea, or late night hot chocolate? When was the last time you saw a coffee plantation in Canada?

Some good news though - there are wineries and breweries within the 100 miles so I may go hungry but I can still be happy.

Why not join me on this journey? We could commiserate about our loss of the more common food choices and celebrate the fact we are adding new choices to our diet while at the same time removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere and supporting local farmers by buying within the 100 mile limit. You never know a whole new economy may sprout up.

Here's to a healthier, happier more local 2010.