Eat Local Challenge: Many ways to participate

Want to participate in the Eat Local Challenge, but can't commit to eating strictly local for 30 days in October?  Here are some other ways you can participate:

Here are just a few:

1)  Write about your experience with eating locally on your blog.  What's it like in your area?  Which parts of eating locally are easy, and which are difficult?  What advice do you have for others? Then tag all posts with the term "EatLocalChallenge" so that we can find your posts. 

2)  Take photos of local food, local farmers' markets and local farmers and post them to our Flickr group.

3)  Submit original content about your eat local experience to the Eat Local Challenge blog to be posted during September.  Email us your content or blog thoughts.  All posts will be subject to our Creative Commons license.

4)  Attend a farmers' market each week in September.  Don't know how to find one?  Try this link or this link.

5)  Can, freeze, or dehydrate your local summer bounty so that you can spread your local eating into the winter.

6)  Ask your supermarket manager where your meat, produce and dairy is coming from.  Remember that market managers are trained to realize that for each person actually asking the question, at least 7 people want to know the same answer.  Make a difference!

7)  Find a local CSA and sign-up!

8)  Find out what restaurants in your area support local farmers. You can do this by asking the restaurants about their ingredients directly, or by asking your favorite farmers what restaurant accounts they have.

9)  Learn more about a farmer or a local producer by talking to them.  Ask them about what they grow, what challenges they have had, why they choose to produce or grow what they are growing.

10)  Use this tool to draw a 100-mile radius around your home and then use this tool to find a local provider.  In California, try CAFF's online local food database for more providers.

11)  Start simple and small by replacing one food item a week.  Find out who in your area roasts their coffee beans.  Try replacing your fruit during September with locally grown fruit.  Buy only locally grown tomatoes.  It might be easier than you think!

12)  Commit to learning more about the implications of growing food on our enivronment, health and economy by reading some of the most popular and influential writings in this area, including:

• Writings by Michael Pollan, especially Power Steer or The Omnivore's Dilemma.
• The Pleasures of Eating by Wendell Berry.
• Articles written for Grist by Tom Philpott.
• Plenty by Alisa Smith and JB MacKinnon.

13)  Take your kids to a u-pick in your area.  Can't find one?  Call your local farmers' market association to see if they know of any.

14)  Host a local foods potluck.  Have friends over and invite them to bring foods made from locally grown products.  A great way to learn about different locally grown products.