And so it begins: Eat Local Challenge!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Where did the Summer go? With the arrival of September comes this month’s Eat Local Challenge, Philly-style. Several of us here at FTP (along with a few FTP readers) have pledged to do the following:
- Eat one meal per week during the month of September that is made using locally grown ingredients. Non-local oil and spices are allowed.
- Can, freeze, dry, or otherwise preserve two things during the month.
- Utilize one new resource for locally grown food during September - that could be a new restaurant, farmer’s market, etc.
Our first progress report will appear next Monday! Woohoo!
If you’d like to participate, please leave us a comment!
Edited to note: Even CNN is covering the Eat Local September Challenge!
If the food hasn’t been grown within 100 miles of where we live—we won’t buy it. That is the pledge concerned foodies across the country are taking for the entire month of September.
At its extreme, the 100-mile diet means no coffee, no spices and no chocolate. Most people don’t go that far, but they do embrace buying food grown and raised locally where possible.
CNN cites diversity and freshness of food, interest in supporting small farmers, and concern about the environment as reasons to eat local. They point out several reasons why eating locally may be a challenge: convenience and not being able to get your favorite foods when you want them. They also indicate that some people don’t like CSAs because it’s harder to cook because you might be unfamiliar with the produce.
I guess it’s an article that’s trying to be balanced, but I’ve never really had problems getting to farmer’s markets and tend to think of eating seasonally and cooking according to what comes in the CSA as positive things. Huh.
