by Birdsong S.
The title for this post was borrowed from my knitblogging friend, Carole, who frequently uses this three-part analysis for situations. It came to mind the other day, when I found myself in an unexpected predicament. I was preparing to participate in the Eat Local Challenge for the month of May, but also needing to place my monthly Mountain People's Warehouse order (what started as a local business in Sacramento is now the United Natural Foods chain).
For several years, I have ordered case lots and other wholesale items from them, through my local grocer, Downieville Grocery, who adds 15% for ordering and processing time. I help her meet her minimum order, and I still get better prices on some of the more expensive natural food products we consume. This time, I knew that I would purchase the things I was out of, particularly vitamins, even if they were further than my 100 mile plan for the Challenge, but I would try to get as close to home as I could.
With that introduction, on to the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
Good: I wanted to buy a whole case of berries at one time, so that I would have enough to last for smoothie-making while I rounded up locally-grown strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries to freeze for the coming year over the course of the summer. This seemed really practical of me, as it would take less oil resources to truck them to me once than 24 times, right? Ingrid, my grocer, and I had recently sampled some blueberries from Stahlbush Island Farms, an organic food distributer of "sustainably farmed" frozen fruits and vegetables, based in Corvallis, Oregon. Not only were they on my side of the continent and sustainable agriculture-friendly, they also used environmentally friendly packaging. Met most of my basic criteria EXCEPT the 100-mile rule.
Bad: I could not find ... in the catalog, and settled on Woodstock Organics, a supplier I have used in the past. Why is this bad? Well, for one thing, they are based on the other side of the country, in West Nyack, New York! For another, Ingrid told me she had recently learned they had been absorbed by a major corporation (organic foods are a "hot marketing trend" right now; who knew?), although my research hasn't turned up confirmation of this yet.
Now, for the Ugly: When the box of berries arrived, the very tiny print on the cardboard read "Product of China and Chile" - what?! Yikes, I struck out before the Challenge even started....How did I get tricked? Well, things just don't stay the same, companies grow bigger, and sources change. Obviously, I can't just rest on my laurels, basking in successful searches in the past, or pre-conceived notions about a producer, but must stay vigilant and make sure my choices remain ones I want to make.
I have been pondering the many steps I will have to take to meet the 80/20 concept of getting most of my food supply locally (or at least within the 100 mile radius), where I will learn from my mistakes, and where I will make exemptions for myself. As my friends and readers of my personal blog started to leave me comments and emails saying how wonderful this whole idea was, but that they didn't feel like they were ready to try it, I thought "Am I helping create a monster? Much like weight loss fads, Botox to get rid of wrinkles, and other unattainable goals?" I have been writing back and saying that every way of participating is good, even if all you do is read about what others are doing. You will never drive past a farmer's market again without thinking about the ELC, will begin to notice more of those cardboard signs over rural mailboxes saying "Eggs" or "Weaner Pigs". You will probably start reading labels more carefully (now, I am ducking into the co-op before each bulk order to try and figure out where the items I want to buy are from). Baby steps, but they all add up.
I remember discussing an upcoming local food event a few months back with a new acquaintance at a town hall meeting in my tiny town. When I said that my goal was to get most of my food from a 100-mile radius, she was a trifle indignant in her reply that she thought we should be able to get all we need in a 50-mile radius. I have a non-competitive spirit, and was a little put off. Is this really realistic? What about the heavily urbanized parts of the country with no farmland left? The high mountain regions and those to the north, where only short-season crops could be grown? Would I want all those people displaced because they couldn't feed themselves in a 50-mile limit, to come and live here with me, in an area where an abundance of food can be grown? I think it's pretty crowded in much of Northern California already! I have seen more and more prime agricultural land in the Sacramento Valley, which used to be one of the bread basket states built over in the past few decades. I think these are only the beginnings of the questions we should be having a conversation about, and hope that you will enter into the discussion, as well as try a few baby steps instead of thinking that this challenge is only for "die-hards".
