Tomorrow I am starting an EcoChallenge with my sister, hosted by her work, the Northwest Earth Institute. The challenge (which we were to choose individually) is to live on the 100 mile diet for 15 days. This means that everything you consume should be from a source within 100 miles of where you live. I started researching a couple of weeks ago and have been shopping since last weekend in preparation. I will say that between these two things the challenge has already begun.
When I was first agreeing to do this challenge I was thinking to myself "hey I can find stuff from local sources, no problem!" I've since learned that it is not as easy as it might seem. Produce is not too hard to find, but when it comes to other staples in your diet, like dairy, grains and meat it gets a lot harder to find them. A lot of things may be produced and sold from local businesses, but their ingredients are not from a local source. Most likely they are from the midwest or California. Flour/wheat has proved to be the hardest thing for me to find from a local source...no flour = no bread products of any kind (yikes!).
When I was first agreeing to do this challenge I was thinking to myself "hey I can find stuff from local sources, no problem!" I've since learned that it is not as easy as it might seem. Produce is not too hard to find, but when it comes to other staples in your diet, like dairy, grains and meat it gets a lot harder to find them. A lot of things may be produced and sold from local businesses, but their ingredients are not from a local source. Most likely they are from the midwest or California. Flour/wheat has proved to be the hardest thing for me to find from a local source...no flour = no bread products of any kind (yikes!).
Frankly I don't really have the time to be a Hardcore Locavore, I barely find time to pee these days:)...so this is my motto for this challenge:
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
If all else fails, at least don’t eat at McDonald’s!
ha!
I read this article and it had some great tips for my personal challenge as well and made me feel better that the point of this exercise is not to set yourself up for failure but to make the best choices that you can make. I know how busy I am and I know that I will not survive my caffeine withdrawals if I don't have coffee (or some sort of caffeine...I've tried before and the migraines/neck pain crippled me for a week) so I will live by the motto above for this challenge and if something is not totally from within a 100 mile radius I will make sure it is at least close or the best possible alternative.
Ready, set, go!
I read this article and it had some great tips for my personal challenge as well and made me feel better that the point of this exercise is not to set yourself up for failure but to make the best choices that you can make. I know how busy I am and I know that I will not survive my caffeine withdrawals if I don't have coffee (or some sort of caffeine...I've tried before and the migraines/neck pain crippled me for a week) so I will live by the motto above for this challenge and if something is not totally from within a 100 mile radius I will make sure it is at least close or the best possible alternative.
Ready, set, go!
