www.eatlocalchallenge.com

links for 2008-07-31

• The Press Democrat | Sonoma farm to table
  Fork & Shovel: A new Sonoma network that helps farmers get food on the tables of local restaurants.
• Baltimore Sun | Eating Maryland food for a week
  A reporter eats only Maryland food for a week.
• Culinate | Loco for locavores

links for 2008-07-30

• Marketplace: Local growers help companies cut costs
• Gristmill | Dispatches from the Fields: From tepary beans to arugula -- and back
  "The big question .. is whether the nascent locavore culture is willing to accept a local food system that grows more tiny tomatoes than beefsteaks, more melons than mesclun mix."
• Plenty Magazine: Libations for the locavore
  Scott Beattie of Cyrus whips up locavore-based cocktails and inspires others to do the same.
• Kansas City Star | Downsize your ‘food print’
• The Daily News Record: Virginia Dept of Ag encourages all residents to eat local for a day.
  The challenge by the agriculture department asks Virginians to choose one day during Virginia Farmers Market Week, set for Aug. 3-9, to eat only food produced in the commonwealth.

links for 2008-07-29

• Living on Earth: Barbara Kingsolver about life as a locavore
• The Ithaca Journal | Local food: Elitist, or transformative?
• Norwich Bulletin | Eating locally in Norwich, CT

links for 2008-07-26

• Gristmill | The NYT's 'lazy locavores'
  Tom Philpott adds his point of view to this week's NYT story.
• AJC | Fans have a field day with field peas (and butter beans, too)
• Planetsave: Changing the World Through What We Eat

links for 2008-07-25

• Edible Nation » Are you going to San Francisco?
• Eat Healthy, Locally-Grown, Whole Foods and on a Budget
• Fast Grow the Weeds: The greenhouse in high summer
• Seattle PI: County removes pesticide guide
• 100 Mile Diet» Local Eating on a Budget

links for 2008-07-24

• The Ethicurean » The cost of being cool: Refrigeration energy in the food system
• Envirovore - Maximize Farmers' Share of Food Dollar

links for 2008-07-23

• Marketplace: Wal-Mart looks local to save on shipping
• The Jew and the Carrot »Bashing the Local Food Backlash
• Casaubon’s Book »  Food Preservation, Food Storage and the Locavore
• Married …with dinner » Born-again briner
• NY Times: A Locally Grown Diet With Fuss but No Muss
  Today's most e-mailed story on the NYT. See Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows' post regarding this article below.

Lazy Locavores?

 

Produce grown, harvested and photographed by Jennifer BB

by Jennifer BB

For a fee, Mr. Paque, who lives in San Francisco, will build an organic garden in your backyard, weed it weekly and even harvest the bounty, gently placing a box of vegetables on the back porch when he leaves.  Call them lazy locavores--city dwellers who insist on eating food grown close to home but have no inclination to get their hands dirty. (Kim Severson, NYT)

Okay--first, let's applaud those who are willing to put a premium on eating locally grown food.  And for those who subscribe to Community Supported Agriculture shares or who "cow pool" to obtain fresh produce and pastured-raised beef--this is only a great help (key to survival, even) for small, local farmers.  But is it even possible to have a bounty of fruits and vegetables growing in your own backyard and NOT want to get your hands dirty?

I've been nursing a blog post for the past couple of weeks and the first sentence waxes poetic about the joy of watching the tomatoes slowly grow on my vines, picking early Sungolds and chewing on baby Swiss chard as I pull stray weeds from my raised beds.  It just takes a few minutes--about as long as it takes the water to boil for my morning tea.  I can't imagine paying someone else to do it--even if I could afford it. 

But perhaps it is like the small steps it takes to get people eating real food--I can't knock those kitchen centers you can go to to prepare a weeks worth of meals if it gets families eating balanced meals at the table on a regular basis.  I can only hope that those who have room to grow their own food but pay others to tend it, will soon discover the delight of sowing, weeding, tending, and eventually harvesting food their own hands have touched.  Check out  the full story in The New York Times here.

links for 2008-07-22

• Life Begins at 30: Eating locally: Possible when eating ethnic food?
  A discussion of whether it is feasible to expect ethnic eateries to carry local food, and whether we, as locavores, should eat at those places. A lively comments section ensues.
• Tigers & Strawberries » How Local Can You Realistically Go?
  Barbara investigates what is realistic for the Ohio area.
• One Local Summer: Week 6 Mid-Atlantic Report
  Locavores in the Mid-Atlantic participate in One Local Summer
• Pigs Will Fly: 100-Mile Diet Having An Effect
  A locavore project starts up in Australia.

Tips for eating locally on a budget.

by Jennifer Maiser, Editor

Serious Eats, this week, posted a great article about how to eat locally and sustainably on a budget.  While we know from last year's Pennywise challenge that eating locally on a budget is possible, it's also easy to watch the food bills pile up when you're concerned with finding sustainable products for your family's dinner table.

Among the suggestions in the SE article, I especially like the suggestions to cut back on meat consumption, and to buy in season.  In season eating offers the best value for local produce, and if you put up or preserve foods while they are in season you can have a version of them throughout the year.  In addition to the Serious Eats advice, I would also suggest the following:

1) Subscribe to a CSA.  CSA boxes from local farms typically offer a good value for in-season, fresh produce.

2) Get to know your farmers.  You're more likely to find out about good deals on your food, and to learn what foods offer the best value that week.  Just start by saying hi, asking them about their week, and asking them about the produce.  Soon, many will be keeping an eye out for special deals for you.

3) Be smart about your meat purchases.  Consider a cow share or meat CSA if it's available in your area (or start your own!).  Choose whole chickens over boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Learn to work with odd meat cuts so that you can maximize your dollar when possible.

Jennifer Maiser is the editor of the Eat Local Challenge website.  She is often found behind a camera or writing for her site, Life Begins at 30.