Are You A Localvore?
I just heard this word - Localvore - for the first time today in, of all places, a Kroger ad. I don't know where I've been that I'm just now hearing it. I haven't had the opportunity yet to read many of the books that deal with eating locally, so maybe that's why.
Eating locally has been an issue that Eric and I discuss a lot. We both really want to eat that way as often as possible for so many reasons. But, it's been a tough transition for us and we are still very far from where we'd like to be. We are taking baby steps though, so at least that's something.
One of the reasons that is foremost in our minds for wanting to eat locally is to support small, family farms, and to support the local economy. (Trust me, the local economy in Michigan could use as much help as it can get.) I have such respect and admiration for the small family farmers. I also have a bit of longing for their lifestyle, but that's another story. I really value the hard work and dedication that goes into farming, and Eric and I definitely feel it is the least we can do to support them in even small ways. We almost feel a sense of kinship with them, being small business owners ourselves.
This is where it gets hard though. We really do not have many options in our immediate area for finding locally grown and produced food. The closest farmer's market is over 20 miles away, as is the closest U-pick farm. There are also no roadside farm stands to be found anywhere. The nearest CSA is over 30 miles away and they do not offer drop-offs. I feel discouraged about this a lot. I'm always trying to find other options for increasing our exposure to all of this wonderful local produce, but it always seems like a dead-end.
Hopefully by next summer we will be in a new house where we can have our own garden that we can use to supplement what we can not find locally. Maybe we'll be in a better location to make the options more feasible.
Until then, I'll keep looking, hoping, and praying that a solution will present itself. And I'll continue to daydream about someday living on our own farm with acres of land, large gardens, horses, and chickens. It's all about the chickens for me! I dream of chickens.
6 comments:
I agree, in theory, with the idea of eating locally. Everything is a balance, too . . . frugality, health, time, convenience, etc.
We can't keep all the balls in the air, but hopefully each year we get a little better at juggling for a little longer.
We actually have quite a bit fairly close here, but local prices are almost double the conventional grocery prices, so we do pick and choose a bit.
It does make me laugh that stores call "local" anything they got from other midwest states. I guess local to them means within 500 miles. Not quite my definition of local.
~Erin
Oh, I'm dreaming of those chickens, too! :)
I know we are blessed to be living in an area of such agricultural abundance, though. :)
We love eating local food!
Blessings,
Michele
You are not the only one that hasn't heard that word before!! I haven't either!
That is a bummer that you don't have a closer farmer's market or CSA. I have farmer's markets that are close to me and I try during the summer and fall to use them but it means going out of my way to do so it makes it difficult as well to utilize them. So if I am in the area I use them if not then I just use the grocery stores.
We have the same problem. We would love to eat locally grown food more, but distance is our problem too. We too hope to start a small garden in February. Keep trying and praying, the Lord will answer. Many blessings.
Small changes are good. I think I've heard it said that small changes over time become permanent whereas large charges are hard to maintain. Keep baby-stepping.
Forgot something....do you happen to have a cooperative grocer locally? That would be another possibility.
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