getting ready for may

21 Apr 2006 in journal

why? it’s the beginning of the eat local challenge! last year it was in august and since i was traveling all over the place, it was super easy to get a bit lazy about it. this year, i’m determined to do a bit more. not that last year wasn’t successful – the challenge definitely raised my awareness of where the food i was eating came from. but, onward and upward, right?

for those of you who haven’t heard of it before, the eat local challenge rises out of these questions:

“What if all of our food decisions for a month were based on what was available in our foodshed? What is it like to eat only what’s in season? What if we all became more aware of where our food really comes from? What if local businesses got the message that people actually care about where their food comes from because of the sheer number of people asking questions about sourcing?” – lifebeginsat30

[for more detailed info, check out eatlocalchallenge.com when it debuts later this week; liz’s excellent post is a great primer too.]

there’s an offical questionnaire i’ll post answers to later, but my general goals this coming month will be:

~ aim for 90% of all food eaten to be locally grown
~ find a good community supported agriculture (csa) farm, or local organic delivery
~ research for the harder-to-find items like local flour, salt, etc
~ go to a farmer’s market each week – there’s so many in l.a. to choose from!
~ read more about the sustainable agriculture/eating local movements, like

• · Eat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket by Brian Halweil,
• · Full Moon Feast, Food and the Hunger for Connection by Jessica Prentice,
• · Worldwatch Paper #163: Home Grown: The Case For Local Food In A Global Market by Brian Halweil,
• · Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods
  by Gary Paul Nabhan,
• · Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall,
• · Lifeplace : Bioregional Through and Practice by Robert L. Thayer

some more food for thought (ba-da-bum-bump) from this morning’s research:

~ the hidden costs of food: food mileage. 1, 2 [pdf], 3, 4

~ vandana shiva quotes:

“The suicides of 25,000 farmers in India in a short span of six years are a symptom of the deep crisis in the dominant model of farming and food production. This system is denying the right of food and health to both the one billion who are hungry and the one billion who suffer from obesity.” [link: 1, 2]

“by their very nature economies based on sustenance ensure a high quality of life—when measured in terms of access to good food and water, opportunities for sustainable livelihoods, robust social and cultural identity, and a sense of meaning in people’s lives.” [link: 1, 2]

so. lots of plans coming up food-wise, very exciting. i think i will learn a lot, and i know i’m going to eat delicious stuff. wanna join me? sign on up!

hope you and yours have an excellent weekend ~
andrea