Report from North Carolina

The Eat Local Challenge got some press today in the Southeast in the Greensboro, North Carolina centered News and Record.  What a nice way to finish the month!

The market for local foods in this area seems to improve with each week.  If you love to cook, your choices are nearly limitless.  Nearly every kind of sustainably raised meat and poultry is sold at the farmers' markets, and a couple of vendors bring fresh seafood from the coast.  There are several farmers who raise vegetables in hoop houses and greenhouses, extending the seasons.  Delicious baked goodies and jams and jellies abound.

The biggest challenge that I have seen is connecting the restaurants with the local farmers and cooperatives.  Hopefully our local Slow Food convivium will be successful in bringing more of these together.  I missed eating out for lunch, and I found out that a couple of restaurants that I thought served local foods did not - after I was seated, unfortunately!  In one case, I discovered that the staff thought that buying from a locally-based food distributor meant that they were buying local food.

The biggest thrill for me was eating my first artichokes from my garden, ever!  I can't tell you how satisfying it was to raise them from seed during the winter of 2005 to harvest this month.

The biggest accomplishment for me is that I finally kicked the diet soda habit.

The most fun was going to a local foods tasting lunch at Bistro Sofia, and making my own salad dressings and mayonnaise.

The biggest disappointment, other than the restaurants, was that I didn't try more new things, such as making my own pasta, and checking out new markets.  I had a busy month, so I didn't try to overdo it.  It was the right choice; I'll get around to the things that I missed.

I wasn't perfect.  I fell off the wagon a few times.  But for the most part, the Eat Local Challenge was not that different for me.  I was simply much more attentive and aware of each bite that I put in my mouth.

The first thing that I'll have in June will definitely have tomatoes as an ingredient.  I have planted twenty Roma and Amish Paste tomatoes, and I plan to be ready with my own local tomato sauce and salsa for next year's challenge!

Laurie O. lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and writes a journal about simple living, slow food, and sustainability at ...slowly she turned.  She is the webmaster for Slow Food Piedmont Triad.

Comments

[jen maiser]

Great article, Laurie. Congrats!

[Laurie O]

I'd like to add that in the article, I'm quoted as saying that the point is not to convince people to toss out bags of Doritos and marshmallows. The basic premise is correct, but I have no idea where those words came from. I would LOVE to see people tossing out bags of Doritos and marshmallows! Woo-hoo!

[Birdsong]

I think that restaurants may be the next big challenge; they have been so proud of themselves to get healthier and shop local (as in your area distributor) and now we are asking yet more!

[mimulus]

Congratulations on growing your own artichokes from seed no less! I bow to your green thumb! They are weeds here in Northern CA and I have eaten so many this month I am letting the baby chokes on my plants go to seed for the birds to eat.

[Tana]

Great article, Laurie, and what nice things your friend had to say about you.

Keep up the good work.

[Eric Brown]

I planted artichokes from seed for the first time in 2005, but I still haven't gotten any artichokes. Only one of the original plants even survived, but I planted some more this year, and they looked really good most of this year. Can you give me any pointers for growing artichokes in NC? I'm just west of you in Wilkes County. Do you know what variety you grew? I'm thinking that may be my chief problem. Thanks a lot. Eric