February's Country Living magazine has a small piece on the Slow Food Movement. (Local Hero) For those of you who don't know what that is... it is the move toward sustainable production of food: Organic methods of gardening/farming, smaller family farms with a move away from corporate farms that grow genetically modified foods (farming that is ecologically sound as well as economical), preserving local food sheds with a move away from buying "shipped" in food and purchasing what is local and in season. It is buying cheese from the local artisanal cheese maker rather then buying chemically dyed orange blocks of kraft cheese. It is buying peaches when they are in season, canning them or freezing them for the future when they aren't in season rather then buying peaches in April from Chile. This supports your local farmer and you get fresh, in season food at a fair price. (Compare homecanned peaches to a store bought can- or local fresh, in season peaches to peaches shipped in from a different hemisphere.) Being willing to buy American and pay a fair price for goods and services is the first way to get America back on the road to a healthier economy. Support your local small farmer/artisan first!
I do confess to having just bought a jumbo sized bag of sugar snap peas at Costco from Guatamala. This early summer when they are back in season I need to "put some up". I'm not sure if they would be best canned, dryed or frozen.
I also confess to liking salad too much to go with out greens in the winter. But I do buy or grow local when it is available. I have stopped buying berries (which I love) right now because they aren't local or in season. (Expensive too!) Small steps! Since pineapples and bananas aren't local at any season they are purchased as desired. There are just some things I'm not willing to cut out. I'd be a grumpy person with out coffee too!
How can you improve your diet and help out your local economy?
1 comment:
A friend of mine gets bulk local produce from the "CSA". I think it's like a co-op. Anyway, I plan to do something like this next year as we are not physically able to grow what we'd really need. I do try to get things and "put them up" as I can. It's a great idea--and one that's been around awhile. I think most people are happy to just go to the big chain grocer down the street and get what they want without regard to seasonal availability. I'm rambling.
I'm with you on the bananas though! Hard to live without those now.
Blessings--
Dana
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