An article came out in the Chronicle last week that really got under my skin, as it attempted to pit the eat local movement against the fair trade movement. You can see my response to the article on the Eat Local Challenge blog.
This was a fun thing to wake up to this morning.
(thanks, Derrick, for the heads up!)
I had a really great week for a million reasons. A very, very busy week, but excellent nonetheless. One of the highlights was receiving an email from Gary Paul Nabhan. Nabhan wrote a book, Coming Home to Eat, which was the first book to really make me start to seriously consider an eat local diet. This week's email contained a post submission for the Eat Local Challenge blog which was posted on Thursday. In some ways, Dr. Nabhan's post complicates the issue of eating locally, as it asks us to consider not only distance, but inputs, ownership, and seed origin among other things. It's sure to begin an interesting conversation -- a conversation which I believe is coming at the right time.
The best part about eating local in Southern California? Two words: local mangoes. Normally at this point, I would have a lovely picture to show you, but I have managed to inhale each and every one before I could take a photo.
The end of August finds me in San Francisco, with a belly full of Little Star Pizza and looking forward to September's Eat Local Month.
Are you still wondering what the mystery machine was? The first guess, Anita's, was correct. It was a cherry pitter -- a machine that John Lagier showed us on our tour of Lagier Ranches through CUESA's farm tour program. It was a fascinating tour, and I want to be able to tell you more about it. But until I get to that, check out Marc's post about visiting the almond orchards and a discussion of the new law that will affect raw almonds.
On the same day, we visited Hidden Star Orchards, an organic almond, stone fruit and grape orchard who sells at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market. Johann Smit and his family have an amazing story, starting with his parents who immigrated from the Netherlands and started a dairy farm on the land where Johann now grows apples.
If you are a Flickr lover, please keep an eye on my photos, as I have been spending quite a bit of time on my flickr site. I am doing an exciting new project called "365 days" in which I take a photo a day for a year. I'm on day 22, and it's been a really interesting experience so far. I am really grateful to the project as it's causing me to have my camera with me most of the time which can only be a good thing.
I'm leaving tomorrow for a couple weeks in Los Angeles. The timing of this is interesting, as it's the beginning of Eat Local month. I am really looking forward to spending time there exploring the local options available to those in Southern California. I will be going to farmers' markets and working local foods into my family's menus as much as possible. While I won't be attempting the 100% local foods diet that I have done in the past, I think that being in Southern California while concentrating on eating local will be an interesting spin on a routine that is part of my daily life in San Francisco. The energy of the Eat Local Challenge is always such an exciting thing, and it continues to be a very invigorating part of my life. Thanks to all of you who support it, or at least tolerate my talking about it fairly regularly.
Have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!
Photo taken in San Francisco at August Street and Union Street, August 29, 2007.
Those of you who have been reading for a while know that the Eat Local Challenge is my baby. It's where my passion lies, and I have had a great time participating in and helping to build a tremendous community around eating locally. I've just posted a list of 16 ways that you can participate in the September 2007 Eat Local Challenge on the ELC blog. Check it out, and consider whether you'd like to take part!
Fellow blogger Noelle at the Daily Tannenbaum has a very poignant post about the closing of her parents' independent bookstore in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Yet another reminder that our buy local efforts can go so much further than just food. I find that when most people choose to start paying attention to buying local food that their purchases in every aspect of their life are questioned ... but this post is a great reminder of why we need to continue to question every purchase.
In the past year, almost every publisher has released at least one book about the importance of buying locally for the sake of the environment and the economy. It would be a shame if they don't make the connection that they have the power to help prevent independent bookstores from closing, and keep these vital community businesses alive. With pricing and terms that would allow independents to compete with chains, it would prevent the ever centralization of book distribution and allow local businesses to stay in business. This would be good for communities, individuals and the publishing industry itself. Unfortunately, it's too late for the people of Wyckoff, NJ, because starting October 1st, they will no longer be be able to buy their books from a local retailer.
Can a single woman in San Francisco eat local foods on a budget of $68 a week?
Yes and no. Yes, if she's willing to eat every meal at home and forgo a social life that revolves around eating out.
During my Penny-Wise Eat Local Challenge week, I spent $153.10. That included a couple of splurge meals -- most notably $42 at Hog Island Oyster Company one night. Given my target budget, to say that I was way over is an understatement.
While I was committed to the idea of the challenge and kept scrupulous notes during the week on the amount I spent, when a close friend who I hadn't seen for months was in town for about an hour one night, I had a bit of a dilemma: do I opt not to see her? Go somewhere less expensive that kept me in my budget but threw ethical eating out the window? Or go to a restaurant that, if pricey, made me feel good about where my money was going, and was a nice place to take an out-of-towner to boot?
I opted for the latter. Even if I would have some explaining to do if I did so.
Removing the line item for that meal, a fantabulous lunch at Pizzetta 211 on Sunday, and some random coffee runs (to the tune of $12.75), I spent $78.35 at home for food for the rest of my meals. So if I could have also eaten those two meals at home, I would assume that I could have eaten at home during the week for approximately $80 - $84. Definitely over my $68 budget, but still much more in the range than what I actually spent.
The good news about eating locally on a budget is that it is doable. I have yet to publish the results of the survey of all Penny-Wise participants, but a majority of the survey participants think that it's feasible to eat a local diet within the budget of an average American household.
My experience during the Penny-Wise Eat Local Challenge is that it takes more planning and more time in the kitchen than I typically take during the week. And that's an important caveat. Eating locally within a budget, where it's not acceptable to jaunt off to local-food provider Hog Island Oyster Company, is possible, but requires a re-prioritization of time in our already jam-packed lives.
I work at home, and much of my kitchen time can be broken out over different periods of the day. It's easy for me to let things simmer and stew while I work. But many don't have this luxury, and without a complete shift of timing priorities, it would be impossible for them to spend more time in the kitchen. There was a point during the week when I felt like throwing up my hands in frustration -- I had just finished cooking my dinner and cleaning the kitchen and it was about 11:00 pm. I was exhausted. But I realized that I didn't have any food left for my lunch at an office the next day and started cooking again -- finally leaving the kitchen at about midnight. And in my household it's only me -- I don't have a family to think about cooking for.
I think that if eating locally on a Penny-Wise type budget were a reality instead of a one-week test, however, I would settle into habits like preparing foods for the week all at once, eating more leftovers than I do, and generally planning ahead that would make the overall time commitment less taxing as time went on.
This whole discussion can't occur without an acknowledgment that we should be spending a higher percentage of our budget on our food. By percentage of our income, Americans spend less on our food than most other countries. But I'm not one to tell people what to do -- I'd rather live through example, and that's what my part in this effort is all about. I, personally, have chosen to spend more money and more time on my food. And I pay for it in other ways. I don't own a car, I don't spend much on clothing, and I generally scrimp and save where I can. But that's such an individual and personal decision.
What I do know is this: Many people try and write off eating anything locally with the excuse that it's too expensive. Say that you don't want to do it, or that you don't believe in it, or you don't have the energy to dedicate to it, or anything else. But when it comes down to buying fresh, local, in-season fruits and vegetables, the problem will not be price. You will find at least some fruits and vegetables that are less expensive than, or on par with, your supermarket.
The overall idea of eating locally poses some interesting dilemmas, as it often asks us to re-prioritize our time and our budgets. But the good news is that it's not an all or nothing thing. While those of us who chose to participate in the Penny-Wise Eat Local Challenge tried to eat as much as possible during the challenge from our local area, anytime you choose to buy local honey, or local in-season tomatoes, or local cherries you are making a choice -- for that one moment -- to support a local farmer or vendor. And you will be doing a world of good.
Cross-posted at the Eat Local Challenge website: A group blog written by authors who are interested in the benefits of eating food grown and produced in their local foodshed.
I have so many things to write about that I have been absolutely stunted and unable to write about anything! The Penny-Wise Eat Local Challenge has been over for several days now, and I have a post brewing on my thoughts about it. I am such an advocate for the importance of eating locally, but I don't think you'll ever hear me saying that it's an easy thing to do -- even somewhere as bountiful as Northern California. This challenge was particularly difficult for me, and I had some successes and some failures.
I am in the process of working with the people who took the challenge to get some overall results and information about the group as a whole, so keep an eye here and on the Eat Local Challenge site for more information about that.
I don't talk about my "real" work life much, but I spend most of my time working out of my home. Starting last week, however, I am now out of the house for three days a week and working in an office for at least six weeks. And while it was a great opportunity that I couldn't pass up, I'm going into an office kicking and screaming. While there are some things about working in an office and actually speaking to people during the day that are kind of nice, it's a hard adjustment, and the exhaustion I feel on a daily basis is part of the reason that you have not seen much on this blog.
Long-time readers of this site know that I usually become uber-reflective and weird during April ... it's always been a kind of big month for me. Every year around April, the stars seem to align and big changes occur. You can look back in the archives to see what I mean -- I'm not too motivated to dig up the memories and link to them right now. And this April did not disappoint. While many of my April reflections this year were super personal, I will say that I came out of last month much more optimistic and in a much better place than I have been in a long time. And that's a really amazing feeling.
So you can look forward to some more posts around here, as soon as I get my schedule a little more settled. And thanks for continuing to stick with me and continuing to read. Your support means more to me than you'll ever know.
While you wait for more posts from me, take a gander at five things I am really enjoying right now: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle | Sarticious Gin | 52 Projects | Baby Ben & his super cool mama | Feta Cheese from Achadinha - pick it up from Donna at the FPFM
Photo taken by me in Portland, Oregon - April 13, 2007.
The San Francisco Chronicle published a series of articles today focused on the Penny-Wise Eat Local Challenge. They asked a few participants to take the challenge a couple weeks early, and then reported on their experiences. I had nothing to do with who they chose, but think that the choices were fantastic, as they showed a really good cross-section of people. I was interviewed for the summary article. Read it if you can, or better yet pick up a hard copy today -- the 4-page spread is really overwhelming and cool.
Summary Article
Jane Tunks' Experience
Debby and Rob's Experience (more on her blog)
Nick Petti's Experience
It's Penny-Wise Eat Local Challenge time over at the Eat Local Challenge blog. Below, please find my personal statement for the challenge. I can't wait to see how I do!
1. What's your definition of local for this challenge?
I will be using a 100-mile radius for most things. When I travel at the end of the week, my 100-mile radius will be 100 miles from the place where I am staying. I will be staying with another eat local challenge participant, so we'll be able to put our heads together!
2. What exemptions will you claim?
I will have an exemption for coffee. I will be using the "Marco Polo" rule when necessary for spices: salt and dried spices that sailors could carry in their pocket for 6 months at sea including baking soda, baking powder, and yeast. I will be getting my rice from Massa Organics that is near Ukiah because it's the rice farm I most want to support even though it is a bit out of my radius.
When I travel at the end of the week, I may bring a few items from home that are sourced local to here. Any exemptions I claim will be included in my final budget amounts for the week.
Due to a pre-planned (and worthy) dinner obligation toward the end of the week, I am going to be starting my challenge on the evening of 4/22 and then taking the evening of 4/26 off from the challenge.
Taking a line from a previous eat local challenge, I will not refuse things offered to me in friendship or love when it would be awkward, recognizing that personal relationships take priority over my own personal challenge.
3. Will you be making any changes to our budget goals?
I will be using the 1 person in the family, one wage earner: $68 a week budget. I will be adding the $8/week alcoholic beverages budget. When I am cooking for others, I will add $6 per person to my budget.
4. Do you have any additional personal goals for the week?
My main goal for this week is not to make major diet changes in order to win the game. Rather, I would like to have a true catalog of how well I can eat on the budget of an average American.
Friday night is the worst night ever to post to your blog, but I suspect that there is going to be a revolt against this site if I don't post something soon.
Things have been very busy around here. As you saw from my pictures, I spent a little over a week in Los Angeles and then meandered back on Highway 101 stopping at some of my favorite places. You can read my write-up about the drive back on KQED's Bay Area Bites (Parts One and Two).
I finally made it to the fabulous Wednesday Santa Monica Farmers' Market. It was nearly three years ago that an elderly man ran his car into this farmers' market killing 10 people. I remembered this when I was at the market and noticed an amazing amount of camaraderie between the farmers there. All markets have their close relationships, but this was a palpable feeling that the farmers at this market were family -- and I truly believe that it's because they went through that horrible tragedy together.
I grew up in Southern California, and didn't move from there until I was 27. So in many ways, it feels like home there. It was interesting being there during the Eat Local month. One of the things that we always hear about eating local is "it's easy to do if you're in California." I would revise that stereotype to say it's relatively easy to do if you are in Northern California. Southern California, to my mind, is a whole different story. I have a friend who lives in Manhattan Beach who participated in the Eat Local Challenge, and she changed her challenge from 150 miles to the entire state of California. And being down there, I can see why.
I am planning on talking about this further in the future, but for now I'd just like to give a big high five to the Southern California participants of the challenge. You really had your work cut out for you.
One reason for the quiet on this site is because a lot of my attention has been focused on the Eat Local Challenge site. I am really proud of the work that everyone has done over there. And it's getting some attention. We were the Typepad Featured Blog a couple weeks ago, and then the site was mentioned in Time magazine this past week, as a part of an article about the Locavores. It included an interview with Barbara Fisher, and was quite a thrill.
Meanwhile, spring is almost gone and summer is almost here. Our CSA box* this week was one of the best yet: strawberries, fresh lavender, cherries, dino kale, beets, and fresh potatoes. I wish that I could bottle and sell the scent that filled my car as I drove home from the pick-up site. It was the quintessential smell of spring to me. If you make it to the Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market this week or next, be sure to consider some of Eatwell's fresh lavender. It's only available for about a month a year, and is worth buying to either put in vases fresh or to dry yourself. To me, it is the yearly sign that summer is here.
* I would have taken a picture of the CSA box if my boyfriend wasn't off with BOTH cameras in the middle of the desert taking photographs. Bragging rights to you if you can figure out where he went. Bragging rights cancelled if I already told you in person where he was and you guess anyway!
We're ten days into the Eat Local Challenge and I thought I'd actually focus for a moment on what we're doing personally for our Eat Local Challenge.
I think that I am in a much different head space this year than last August when I took the challenge. You might remember that it was last June when we found out that Jason could only eat a very limited fat diet. So by the time August came around, I was only about six weeks into completely changing the way I cooked. I was doing okay with that on it's own, but adidng the challenge of eating locally was a little harder than I let on at the time.
Now, I feel much more comfortable with cooking low-fat. I've been successfully cooking that way for about eleven months. You wouldn't know it looking at my waistline, but have you seen J lately? He lost about 25 pounds. While weight wasn't the primary issue, the doctors were thrilled. His triglycerides are now back to normal and will stay that was as long as he continues to eat low-fat and not drink alcohol.
I think that there is a certain comfort that comes with taking the challenge for the second time. We trained ourselves last August to find out where our food was coming from, and to make decisions based on those answers. That didn't turn off on September 1. So the May challenge is, in many ways, a continuation of habits we have applied to our everyday lives.
To prepare for May, I found myself doing small things that I am thankful for now: I preserved lemons for the first time, I salted local sardines (that's a good story that will wait for another post), and I bought popsicle molds to make local fruit popsicles (we are addicted to popsicles and I wanted to try making them for this challenge).
The photos in this post are of the first week of dinners at our house. The pictures kind of make me laugh because they make it seem like we are the most boring home cooks ever. While the basic premise was the same every night (rice + protein + 2/3 veggies), the flavors were pretty different each night. Most mornings, I ate strained Straus yogurt,
walnuts (Full Belly), dried fruit (Hidden Star Orchard / Lagier) and honey (Marshall's). Lunches were usually leftovers for me, and takeout from the Financial District for J.
Dinner Day One: Brown rice (Lundberg), calypso beans (Rancho Gordo), steamed chard with lemon and leeks (Eatwell /
Hamada), pea shoots (Brooks & Daughters).
Dinner Day Two: Brown rice (Lundberg), roasted asparagus (Full Belly), Dietsel turkey, runner cannelini beans (Rancho Gordo), pickled cabbage (Riverdog)
Dinner Day Three: Brown rice (Lundberg), artichokes (Full Belly), fennel (Eatwell), pickled cabbage (Riverdog), Diestel turkey.
Dinner Day Four: White sushi rice (Koda Farms), shiitake mushrooms (Solano Mushroom Co.), Snap Peas (Eatwell), rotisserie chicken from Roli Roti.
Dinner Day Five: Pork chop (Black Sheep Farm), spinach (Eatwell), Florida butter beans (Rancho Gordo), snap peas, shiitake mushrooms (Solano mushroom company).
Some of these meals included a dab of sesame oil and some Bragg's amino acids (nonlocal).
The Locavores guidelines for this challenge are:
If not locally produced, then organic.
If not organic, then family farm.
If not family farm, then local business.
If not local business, then terroir.
1. What's your definition of local for this challenge? Local will be anything within 100 miles of San Francisco.
2. What exemptions will you claim?
3. What is your personal goal for this month?
To ask questions. To understand if there is a reasonable local substitute for an ingredient. If not, to find the most sustainable provider of that ingredient following the Locavore guidelines. To never make others uncomfortable with the choices that I have made for my own diet.
I am very proud to announce that the Eat Local Challenge site has launched. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, please do so. A lot of hard work has gone into it already. Ever since inviting over 30 people to be authors of the site, I have been astounded on a daily basis when reading the content they are generating and the enthusiasm that they all have for the site. Many of the posts deserve recognition, but a few standout posts include:
A Few Tips for the Eat Local Challenge by Jamie
Walking the Walk, Eating my Talk by Julie Cummins
Why I Do It by Cookiecrumb
The Great Egg Hunt by Heather C.
Additionally, today I posted a really fun local cheese guide which was written by Stephanie Lucianovic from the Grub Report.
Check it out!
In a post below, Lynne had the following comment and question:
This sounds like a really interesting challenge, but I'm in the Boston area, where the local farmers' markets won't start until Memorial Day at the very earliest, and mid-June more often. (Currently, I get organic fruits and veggies delivered through Boston Organics, but since that's a year-round service, they can't really keep it local during our long winter.) How do you go about finding out who makes what locally when the ultimate source of local produce isn't open for the season yet?
I think this question is worthy of its' own post because it affects so many people.
First of all, there is nothing saying that your Eat Local Challenge month has to be in May. You could decide that, especially for your first time taking the challenge, May is going to be too difficult in your area. You could set up an individual or group challenge in a different month. I already know of some people from Canada who are going to be taking the challenge in August and writing about it on EatLocalChallenge.com.
If you decide that you want to take the challenge in May, where do you start?
1) Check out LocalHarvest.org. They will show farms and food producers in your area that you may not know about. Call those farms up and see where you can get their products.
2) Start asking at your stores. Check with Whole Foods. Ask them to show you what in their store is produced within a 100-mile radius. Even if their answer is "nothing", you have learned something and made your voice heard with them.
3) Look for local co-ops. Co-ops will have a great idea of what's available, and will be more malleable than a big corporation like Whole Foods. The idea of eating local is a fairly hot topic right now, so they may already have some ideas for you.
I'll keep thinking of other options for you, and hope that others will chime in as well.
I have mentioned the May Eat Local Challenge in several posts, but thought I would post something official which summarizes the challenge and what you should do if you'd like to join. I am working in association with the Locavores to host the May Eat Local Challenge. Participants agree to focus on eating food grown and produced in their area during the month of May. How stringent or loose you decide to make your personal challenge is up to you.
In designing your personal challenge, you should answer the following questions:
1. What's your definition of local for this challenge?
The Locavores are using a 100-mile radius around their home to define local foods. I will be doing the same. You could define local as anything from within your county to within the state or the United States.
2. What exemptions will you claim?
There are some things that are a part of your everyday life that will be impossible to source locally. Will you be drinking coffee during this month? What will you do about spices? In many areas, local grains are hard to find. What will you do if you can't find them?
3. What is your personal goal for the month?
You don't have to set your goal at eating every meal locally -- while that is the ideal, we want to be realistic here. You could set a goal of having each dinner with local products, having one family meal a week, or even hosting one weekend picnic with local foods during the month.
So you're ready to take the challenge ... now what?
* Go sign up on the Locavores site. This is a good way to be counted in the challenge, and to receive updates during the month.
* If you are a blogger, post about the above questions and send me a link to the post by Sunday, April 30. During the first week of the challenge, I will be posting a summary of blogs to watch on the new website dedicated to eating locally year-round (launching this week).
* If you are not a blogger and would like to write about your experiences for the world, please contact me via email.
Would you like more information? If you would like a better sense of the Eat Local Challenge, you can view the links above, on the right, which are associated with the August 2005 challenge in which over 600 people and 60 bloggers participated. Also, read the Locavores' site, and keep an eye on this site in the coming weeks for further information.
I want to start this post by talking for a moment about the Eat Local Challenge. You will be getting more information in the next few days, but just a reminder that it's in May. As in 12 days from now. We have had a ton of interest, both here and on the Locavores site, and I am very excited to be trying this out in the springtime. To brush up on the Eat Local Challenge, see the announcement post from last August. The challenge will basically be the same this year. You set your rules, and do what you can during the month to consume as many locally-grown products as possible. For a great summary of the challenge, please see Jamie's post on 10 Signs Like This.
May in San Francisco is usually the time of spring peas, strawberries, fava beans, and cherries. Due to this years incredible rains, however, none of us are too sure what we are going to be eating in May. I am still getting Red Russian kale and butternut squash from my CSA, so it's anyone's guess. I wrote a post today for Bay Area Bites that I'd ask you to read if you care about farmers and what this season is doing to their crops. Short end of the story: It doesn't look great, and no one is sure how bad things are yet. We should all do what we can to support our local farmers during this time.
Switching gears a little, you may have visited the site of Patrick and Holly called Letter from Hen Waller. I have it linked on my blogroll there on the left. I first started reading their blog a while back when they were living in Berkeley. They are dedicated to reducing their ecological footprint, and do this by growing their own food, biking as many places as possible, and raising chickens for eggs and meat. Add to this the fact that they are both compelling writers, and you can understand why they have one of my favorite sites out there.
Patrick and Holly moved to Portland in the past six months, and I've been enjoying reading about their new adventures there. Holly wrote a great post this weekend describing their trials and tribulations with trying to get a permit to raise chickens (in Portland you can have three without a permit, but more than that and you have to apply for a permit and notify your neighbors). They were met with some stiff opposition from their neighbors and really had to consider whether this was worth the fight. They decided to do anything they could:
We choose to raise chickens in the city as a part of our convictions. We raise them to deepen our connection with the natural world, by practicing animal husbandry. We raise them to enjoy nutritious wonderful eggs from chickens raised in a good, healthy environment, in the sun, hormone- and antibiotic-free. We raise chickens to help maintain breeds of birds that are not raised in factories, so that when, inevitably, disease devastates the factory breeds, some hardier breeds will survive, to provide stock for meat and eggs for all people. We raise chickens to create a more integrated environment on the land we occupy, using animal fertilizer, not petroleum-based inputs, to grow food that we eat, and the plants that make a space beautiful and healthy to live in.
We believe that we can no longer afford to live in a strictly ornamental world, and cannot continue to be an increasingly flaccid and parasitical people. We live in a world of increasing social and economic crises that promise only to become worse with the accumulating impacts of global warming and peak oil. Patrick and I have chosen to live in a way that reduces our ecological footprint, wherein we seek to live as locally as we can. We support local food producers. We live our lives within a radius that we can cover by bicycle. And through raising chickens and gardening the small amount of food we do, we seek to learn and develop once-common skills, and to reconnect with the plants and animals that nourish us.
To read the rest of the very interesting and inspiring and also quite sad story, visit Letter from Hen Waller.
"I can tell how busy you are by the fact that your blog postings have slowed to a trickle," a friend told me recently. I was talking to her at about ten o'clock at night after having been on a 9:30 p.m. work call. Though sometimes I do an okay job with being very busy and holding everything together, this is not one of those times. I have been head-down focused on work for several weeks now. And it's going to continue for a while longer before I can come up for a breather.
But, I wanted to take a moment this morning to tell you about a few things, mainly to do with the Eat Local Challenge. Last year, a group of over sixty bloggers joined the San Francisco-based Locavores to declare August "eat local" month. We all set ground rules that we could live with and ate food from our local foodshed for the whole month. The ground rules differed by blogger and were as varied and diverse as we are.
This year, the Locavores have changed the Eat Local month to May so that we can all try eating local during a different season ... that's a little over a month from now! May is one of my favorite times of the year. Here in San Francisco, May will most likely mean strawberries, peas, cherries, artichokes, cucumbers, summer squash, potatoes, salmon and halibut. I know that some of you in other parts of the country will barely be out of frost time, and it will be up to you to decide whether you want to participate in May and to what extent it will be possible.
So now for some news. First, I have been invited to be a part of the organizing committee for the Locavores. Along with Jessica Prentice, Sage Van Wing, and Dede Sampson, I will be helping to organize the Locavore effort for eating locally in May. This means that there will be some organized collaboration between the blogger eat local effort and the Locavores, which I find to be exciting.
Secondly, I am launching a new blog that will focus on all things having to do with the Eat Local Challenge. It will be a place with multiple authors, where anyone participating in or organizing an Eat Local Challenge during any time of the year can post about how they are doing. I am hoping that it will be a portal for bloggers who want to point to Eat Local discussions on their blogs, as well as a place for some non-bloggers to write about their Eat Local experience. If you are interested in being an author on this blog, would you email me?
Once we are adults, there seem to be fewer and fewer things that wholly change the course of one's eating habits. I have had some people tell me in the past that the issue of food politics, where our food comes from, and supporting small farms, is best taught to youngsters because adults are too "far gone" to really change on a fundamental level. I am convinced that a huge exception to this rule is community supported agriculture (CSA) and what it can teach us.
In November, we joined a CSA for the first time. After a lot of research, we decided to subscribe to Eatwell Farm's weekly box. I have known Nigel Walker, the farmer, for a few years and knew that we would be in good hands with his CSA. Eatwell Farm is a certified organic farm located 68 miles from San Francisco with a CSA program that is in it's 10th year.
This week, we received our 17th box. I can say that without a doubt, subscribing to a CSA has completely changed the way we eat. Our meals at home are now much more reactive than proactive, but in only the best sense of the term. Instead of doing the work to decide what's at the peak of the season ("I know there are oranges at the market right now, but aren't they almost at the end of the season? Are they still sweet? Where are those tomatoes coming from? How were they grown?"), and what is from our local foodshed, we pick up a box of fruits and vegetables that the farmer has decided he wants us to have because they represent the best that his farm has to offer that week.
One argument that I have heard against joining a CSA is that "I love shopping at farmers' markets each week." I love shopping at the markets too, and still do. CSA membership and market shopping go hand in hand, but instead of lugging all the essentials home I use the market to append to what I already have. I find the market to be a much more pleasant experience when I know that I have the basics at home already.
Each week in our box, we receive a newsletter from the farm that talks about the week and anything that is going on at the farm. This type of communication puts me in touch with my food in a way that I have never been connected before. At the very beginning of the year when we had terrible storms in the Bay Area, we received a newsletter talking about the damage done to the farm (power out, damage to the power source), and the reasons why Eatwell Farm fared so much better than some (the quality of the soil absorbed the rain correctly) -- all things that I may have been able to find out at the farmers' market if I asked the correct questions and if the farmer had time to talk with me.
I still have the note from that week on our refrigerator:
We do not have running water on the farm due to the weekend storms. Your vegetables are unwashed today and quite muddy. Instead of lettuce, you have organic walnuts from Dixon Ridge Farms. You may have a butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes. We were also not able to wash eggs. You will receive double eggs with your next box. Thanks for your understanding.
So much about this note makes me smile. The fact that there are so many changes to the box, the fact that they substituted lettuce with walnuts (because they're so similar), and fact that the note reminds me of how muddy the food was that week. I received one item in a plastic bag and I literally had no idea what it was until I washed and washed for about two minutes - to finally find a watermelon radish in a huge clump of mud. Jason and I were fascinated because we had never seen mud with such a clay-like consistency. We actually ended up calling Nigel on the way to Sacramento one day to see if we could go see the farm after the storm. "It's not in very good shape," he replied, but I persisted that we wanted to see it during the winter, and he acquiesced. The pictures that you see in this post were from that day, and as you can see the farm was gorgeous and in amazing shape.
As we have turned into a CSA household, I find myself really embracing certain books and cooking methods more than ever:
* In most of his books, Mark Bittman recommends a method of cooking greens that involve heating a small amount of oil in a pan, sauteeing greens for 2 or three minutes over high heat, then adding spices and chicken stock (about a cup for a pound of veggies) and cooking a few more minutes (I usually cover, but it depends on the vegetable). The beauty of this recipe is how many variations there are of it. You can cook it with peanut oil, ginger, and a bit of soy sauce for an Asian influenced dish, or with olive oil and red peppers for a more Italian dish. I have used this cooking method with broccoli, cabbage, spinach, tatsoi, chard, kale, and brussels sprouts.
* To support our new CSA food routine, I stock large amounts of brown rice, beans, lentils and baked smoked tofu to give us proteins and help round out a meal featuring our CSA veggies.
* Any time you we have root vegetables that we are stumped by, we roast them. You can try this with one or many types of root veggies combined together. I dice them all into same-sized cubes, add a small amount of olive oil and salt, then roast them in the oven at 400 degrees. The amount of time depends on the size of the dice, but it usually takes about 30 minutes. I have tried this on different combinations of sweet potatoes, butternut squash, rutabagas, and turnips. The roasting adds a dimension of flavor that is wonderful by itself or added to a dish such as soup, rice dishes, or pastas.
* Elizabeth Schneider's book Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference has proven to be a very valuable resource when I get something in the box that I haven't used much before. While I have bought turnips for specific recipes, I have never had turnips in the fridge and wondered what to do with them. Same goes for rutabagas. This book helped me with both veggies, and gives me new ideas for familiar vegetables as well.
We recently resubscribed for another 13 weeks, and I have some goals for this next term of the CSA:
* I plan on using the CSA box when entertaining as well as in every day cooking. At the moment, I am still depending on recipes and menus when friends come for dinner, instead of letting the box dictate what we'll have.
* I plan on starting to put vegetables "up" for the May Eat Local Challenge, and for out of season use. We often think of that in the summer, but I wouldn't mind saving some of my spring and winter vegetables as well.
* I need to revamp our kitchen area in order to give myself a good cool, dark place to store our root vegetables and other long-term storage items. Right now, most items go into the fridge or are put on a table, neither of which is an ideal solution.
While I think that Eatwell Farm is an exceptional CSA to belong to and a great fit for us, I would encourage you to look into joining any CSA near you. It's an amazing way to get local food easily, feel more connected to your food than ever before, and to support small local farmers who work so hard at providing food for the community.
If you live in the Bay Area, this post I wrote for Bay Area Bites gives a good overview of local CSA's.
This is our eat-local dinner from last night.
Butternut Squash (Eatwell Farm) roasted with salt, pepper, brown sugar and a dab of olive oil.
Scarlet Runner Beans (Rancho Gordo) sauteed with shallot, spinach, and tomato (Eatwell Farm)
Rosie chicken breast with black sesame seeds (Full Belly Farm) - marinated with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
Yes, you just read that right ... I had a local, organic, non hot-housed tomato in November. Eatwell Farm is still providing a few in their CSA boxes. The one I used last night in the spinach was delicious.
I finally joined Eatwell Farms' CSA program. For years, I had gone back and forth about a CSA, feeling as though I still wanted to be able to go to farmers' markets and choose my own produce. The main reasons I decided to join are:
1) price. I believe we are going to spend less money on the CSA box than we usually do for our produce. We pre-purchased 13 weeks of the basket and are spending $19.50 a week.
2) convenience. My real epiphany came about a month ago when I was struggling to carry home several bags of food from the farmers' market. It is a lot to purchase all the produce for a high veggie-eating household at the farmers' market on any given weekend. This way, I am hoping that I will still go to the market and be able to focus on purchasing specialty items instead of all the basics.
3) support of the farm and the CSA concept. Of all the farms that are out there, I have the closest personal connection with Eatwell Farm, and I know that the CSA program is a great way to be a consistent supporter of any farm's work. While farmers love and are thrilled with support at a farmers' market, dollars received as a part of a CSA subscription have additional value in that they are dollars that are pre-paid, consistent and can be counted on when the farm is making plans upgrades or large purchases.
I will keep you apprised of how I do on the CSA program, and let you know what I am receiving in my box. If you would like to read more about local CSA programs, you can read my wrap-up which was written for Bay Area Bites.
My most recent post for Bay Area Bites was posted today entitled "Noshing through West Marin County". You can always check the most recent posts I have done by checking column to the right of this post entitled "I write for KQED's Bay Area Bites".
This post falls under the "tooting my own horn" category.
Edible San Francisco is a magazine whose initial publication was this month. Another magazine produced by the folks at Edible Communities, Edible San Francisco is edited by none other than Bruce Cole of Saute Wednesday.
In addition to articles about honey, Cafe Gratitude, and Three Wise Hens eggs, there is also an article by yours truly about the Eat Local Challenge. You can find copies for free around town -- check these locations.
From today's Chronicle:
A number of Bay Area catering companies will take part in the national Eat Local Challenge Sept. 29, pledging to only serve foods from within a 150-mile radius. Organized by Bon Appetit Management Co., 200 chefs and food services in 26 states are serving lunch made entirely of local ingredients. (Some are going one better: all meals). The cafes at the de Young and Legion of Honor museums, Acme Chophouse restaurant, as well as the cafeterias of Google, eBay and the University of San Francisco, are among the Bay Area participants. For more information, visit www.eatlocalchallenge.org.
Eating local means more for the local economy. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction. (reference)
Locally grown produce is fresher. While produce that is purchased in the supermarket or a big-box store has been in transit or cold-stored for days or weeks, produce that you purchase at your local farmer's market has often been picked within 24 hours of your purchase. This freshness not only affects the taste of your food, but the nutritional value which declines with time.
Local food just plain tastes better. Ever tried a tomato that was picked within 24 hours? 'Nuff said.
Locally grown fruits and vegetables have longer to ripen. Because the produce will be handled less, locally grown fruit does not have to be "rugged" or to stand up to the rigors of shipping. This means that you are going to be getting peaches so ripe that they fall apart as you eat them, figs that would have been smashed to bits if they were sold using traditional methods, and melons that were allowed to ripen until the last possible minute on the vine.
Eating local is better for air quality and pollution than eating organic. In a March 2005 study by the journal Food Policy, it was found that the miles that organic food often travels to our plate creates environmental damage that outweighs the benefit of buying organic. (reference)
Buying local food keeps us in touch with the seasons. By eating with the seasons, we are eating foods when they are at their peak taste, are the most abundant, and the least expensive.
Buying locally grown food is fodder for a wonderful story. Whether it's the farmer who brings local apples to market or the baker who makes local bread, knowing part of the story about your food is such a powerful part of enjoying a meal.
Eating local protects us from bio-terrorism. Food with less distance to travel from farm to plate has less susceptibility to harmful contamination. (reference)
Local food translates to more variety. When a farmer is producing food that will not travel a long distance, will have a shorter shelf life, and does not have a high-yield demand, the farmer is free to try small crops of various fruits and vegetables that would probably never make it to a large supermarket. Supermarkets are interested in selling "Name brand" fruit: Romaine Lettuce, Red Delicious Apples, Russet Potatoes. Local producers often play with their crops from year to year, trying out Little Gem Lettuce, Senshu Apples, and Chieftain Potatoes.
Supporting local providers supports responsible land development. When you buy local, you give those with local open space - farms and pastures - an economic reason to stay open and undeveloped.
I can't believe it's already almost the end of August. Seems like the Eat Local Challenge has flown by so quickly! If anyone who is taking the challenge would consider a wrap-up post, I will post a summary of how everyone did and general sentiment about the challenge. Ideally, I will do the post over the Labor Day weekend, so let me know if you post by then.
Things you may want to talk about:
* How did the challenge go for you?
* What was easier than expected?
* What was harder than expected?
* What did you deny yourself during August that you are dying to have on September 1?
* What are the fun new products you discovered during this challenge?
* Do you think the challenge has changed your overall eating habits?
* Will you be carrying any part of the challenge into your daily lives?
* Will you take the challenge again next August?
Thanks!
Have you ever seen a pawpaw? I picked up this little fruit from Lagier Ranch at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market on Tuesday. The fruit fits in the palm of my hand and is quite soft when it is ready to eat. It is known as the "poor man's banana" and can substituted for banana in recipes.
If you are serious about eating local, this fruit is a good one to know about as it satisfies the need for a tropical fruit, yet it can be found in California.
The fruit is custardy in texture and reminds me of a cross between a mild papaya, a banana and a mango.
A pawpaw is in the same family as a cherimoya fruit, and is native to woodlands in the native US. It is now grown in parts of California and the Pacific Northwest.
Cutting into the pawpaw, it's seeds are quite large with a beautiful woody exterior.
If you make it to a market in the Bay Area this weekend, keep an eye out for Lagier Ranch and their pawpaws. Lagier is at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market on Saturdays and the Marin Civic Center Farmer's Market on Sundays.
More about the Pawpaw fruit:
Wikipedia
California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc
Photo credit: Flourphoto
Several Eat Local Challenge bloggers have mentioned that they wonder whether they are doing anything for the environment and pollution in buying local foods when it usually means driving more in order to go to many different locations to gather their food. To help us with this question, I have called on a good friend, Jennifer Finton. Jen is the Policy Manager of the American Lung Association of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails, and spends much of her time on pollution, transportation, and land use issues.
In general, can you talk about the types of pollution trucks bring into an area, and what that does for the environment?
Most of the trucks used for transporting goods in a region have diesel engines. Diesel engines being made today are much cleaner than older versions, however, diesel engines are workhorses and last an average of 30 years. Since 1990, diesel exhaust has been listed as a known carcinogen under California's Proposition 65, and in 1998, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) formally listed diesel particulate as a toxic air contaminant. The extensive scientific literature demonstrates that exposure to diesel exhaust increases the risk of developing lung cancer and other non-cancer health problems.
Are those types of pollutants something that average cars don't give off?
Yes and
no. The "average" car is much cleaner than an "average" diesel engine on the
road today. However, cars and trucks both emit pollutants in varying degrees
that can be harmful to lungs, both in the short and the long term. While newer
cars are polluting less overall, recent data shows that they are traveling more
miles than ever before.
Can you talk about "goods movement" - what it means, and how it affects our lives?
With globalization and a market driven economy, efficiency and low prices are the name of the game. Notice all of the "box stores" in our communities. With an increase in the number of these stores, demand for these discount goods increases, therefore increasing the number of trucks, trains and ships needed to transport them, especially from overseas. More transportation modes often equate to more pollution. You'll need more trucks to get the containers from more trains, that are loaded from more ships. Studies show that trains, trucks and ships are some of the highest polluting mobile sources. An increase in these modes without cleaner engines does not bode well for lung health.
So is it a natural conclusion to assume that buying more things that don't have to be brought on ship, train or truck would eventually help air quality by cutting down on the number of ships / trains / trucks? Or at least not increasing that demand?
Right. theoretically, until we can come up with readily available, inexpensive cleaner technology for the engines in those ships/trains/trucks.
So, let's just say that in a perfect world, the Eat Local Challenge completely takes off and half the population is doing it ... buying more goods locally. A lot of times, that would mean trips to more places (as opposed to one big box market) and breaking up our errands to lots of little places. What could that mean for congestion and pollution?
Well, if half the population is doing it, there would probably be a better method for obtaining local goods. But, in light of how to go about it at this point in time -- Recognize that you're eating local for other reasons than to save money and time (for the most part). You are choosing this "battle", but to look at the whole picture, the trade-offs become complicated.
What's the #1 thing that we can take into consideration while eating local?
For this month of eating local, combining your errands, whether they are food-buying related or not, is the best strategy if you are shopping by car. Well-maintained cars are equipped to run cleaner after the engine is warm. Your car pollutes more in the first few minutes of driving. By combining errands, even if that means starting and stopping your engine for brief periods of time, is better for air pollution than running errands sporadically throughout the day. Of course, walking, biking, carpooling and taking transit may cut down on the cost, provide a health benefit by combining exercise and pollute the least of all modes.
Talking to you, one thing that I would personally probably focus on would be to frequent farmer's markets that are purposefully put at transportation hubs -- just supporting that effort, I guess.
Right, a perfect combination. There's some cross promotion going on here in Sacramento between our transit and the Farmer's Markets.
Anything else we should talk about?
Well, one thing is to keep an eye out for companies that are upgrading their diesel engines. There are some great programs out there to upgrade or replace diesel engines a little cost to the operator.
And to close, it's obvious the Locavores and anyone participating in this challenge care about what they eat and where it comes from and I appreciate that they recognize that this stuff doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's about choices and we can continue making sure we have choices by becoming active and involved in our communities and supporting those businesses that are sustainable. It's the whole, "vote with your fork" mentality, but carried throughout your life.
Thanks so much, Jen. This has been really helpful.
Eating New Jersey is one of a couple of blogs I know that started up just for this blog challenge. He started his blog in July, saying:
We are in New Jersey, the often maligned Garden State and are partially taking the challenge to prove (mostly to New Jerseyans) that the availability and diversity of foods from here can match those found anywhere else.
"Bornearly" has risen to the challenge, finding local eggs and wine, local beer, and last week he posted about a local turkey farm. I'm hoping that his blog habit is here to stay - Eating New Jersey is a great addition to our blog community.
A note on choosing eggs: Wherever they appear in your meal, spare no pennies to get the freshest, tastiest eggs you can. I want yolks the color of saffron that sit plump and high on the clear, thick, jellylike whites. If the white is thin overall and watery at the edge, the egg may be too feeble to turn into a fluffy omelette or frittata. Eggshell color is about hen variety and is no guarantee of great flavor, but the best eggs we get are from well-tended and well-fed hens that produce brown or blue eggs. Try all the different colors and "brands" of eggs you can find, then choose the one that delivers flavor and freshness. Even the most expensive egg makes a very economical meal.
Judy Rodgers, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook
One thing that I haven't missed during the Eat Local Challenge is eggs - we have plenty of options here in the Bay Area for local eggs: Marin Sun Farms, Petaluma Farms Eggs, Nash's Eggs, Ludwig Avenue Farm to name a few. Now, there is a newcomer to the egg scene: Eatwell Farm, which is a familiar certified-organic vendor at several Bay Area farmers markets, is now selling eggs under the brand of "Three Wise Hens". I initially heard that these eggs would only be available to CSA members, but they were available at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market on Saturday and the farmer, Nigel, expects them to be available on a regular basis from this point forward.
I didn't do a side-by-side comparison, but I found them to be just delicious. We taste-tested them by poaching and setting atop a portabella mushroom (Solano Mushroom Farm), roasted tomato (New Zealand Pink Paste from Eatwell - my current favorite tomato), Capricious cheese and basil (Eatwell). I modified this recipe by using less oil and the ingredients aforementioned.
At $6/dozen, prices rival Marin Sun Farms as the highest in town.
Who's up for a Bay Area Egg Taste Test?
Photo by flourphoto.
I can't remember if I found Barbara's site, Tigers & Strawberries, as a result of the Eat Local Challenge or if it was right before that. Her site has quickly become part of my daily read. The depth of her site is remarkable - both in her well-thought out essays, and in the comments that she elicits.
Among other things, Barbara
> features step-by-step recipes that are completely readable,
> she found locally produced tofu -- a challenge in Ohio and the rest of the US, as soy is often not processed in the same place as it is harvested,
> reviews reference materials for the eat local challenge (here and here),
> she provides a great list of Ohio local food resources,
> and Barbara wrote an excellent essay on the meaning of "sustainable".
Barbara, I am so glad to have you as a part of this challenge!
We had a few bloggers who were fashionably late to the party. I have added their names to the list, but wanted to highlight them so you'd have a chance to check out their blogs if you haven't already.
Alanna from Kitchen Parade: Veggie Venture (St. Louis, Missouri). Incorporating eating local into her blog goal of writing new about new veggie recipes every day.
Vital Information from (Chicago, IL). Has a list of local resources on his site and thinks that the eat local challenge is a natural fit for him.
Parke from US Food Policy (Massachusetts). There is something appealing about a dirty crooked carrot in a world full of obedient clean conical supercarrots.
Brett from In Praise of Sardines (Bay Area). So, although I'm arriving at the Eat Local party when it's half over, I want to offer my support and congratulations to all those who have been participating for the whole month! Go team!
> On the whole, I think that I am actually spending less money on food. This is just a guess, as I haven't exactly totalled it, but I think that it's because we aren't eating at as many restaurants.
> The thing that was driving me crazy during week 1 was the lack of snack food. I have since found Lundberg Rice Chips (thanks, Suzanne!) and that has helped a lot. I have also played around with making my own crackers, but haven't perfected that quite yet.
> Does anyone know where Hobbs' bacon comes from? I am assuming Northern California, but can't figure it out. I'm hoping it's local, cause I had 3 pieces today. It's all this man's fault.
> I have gotten over feeling guilty if I don't eat something local. I am doing what I can do, and that's all that anyone can expect! So listen up, all you challengees, don't feel guilty about anything you are doing! The fact that you are thinking about this and talking about it makes the whole challenge a success in my book. Y'all are doing great. The "pyramid effect" of this challenge is something that I am very proud of. Everyone who is taking this challenge is talking to others about it. Even if those others aren't necessarily adopting the idea right away, they are thinking about it and looking to see what they can find that's local. I am hearing that story over and over again.
> A big thanks to Fatemeh who brought me lemons from her neighbor's yard. Lemon problem solved!
> The picture in this post is of Dave Little from his potato farm in Tomales. Little Organic Farm practices dry farming, and I went to see his farm (plus Marin Sun Farm and Russ Sartori's Strawberries) as a part of a MALT event on Sunday.&