The 100-Mile Diet

Two of my favorite subjects and pastimes converge in a very happy marriage: food and gardening (ok, it's three of my favorite things, because this post is about shopping too.)

I was poking around, reading the NY Times on the internet this morning, (weird, I know) and found this LUH-vuh-ley article about a. food and b. gardening/eating locally. Actually, it was more this editorial piece, Sew Those Seeds, that was about gardening, and this piece, Boosting Health with Local Food, that is about buying our food at local farmers markets. Both articles were very interesting, as well as being motivating.

"By focusing your diet on products grown and raised within 100 miles of your home, you will likely end up eating more fruits and vegetables as well. Shopping for fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets is also pleasurable and may lead to more variety in your diet. Eating local often means you can meet the people who produce your food, and you can also ask questions about pesticide use and farming methods..."

"...Among the most pressing public health problems in the U.S. today are obesity, environmental degradation and health disparities,” said Alice Ammerman, director of the U.N.C. Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. 'Contributing in a big way to each of these problems is our current food system, with its heavy dependence on fossil fuels such as fertilizers, pesticides and gasoline for large-scale production and long distance transportation of often high-calorie, nutrient-poor food, from farm to processing facility to table.'"

Ergo, we help the environment when we buy local food because the food doesn't have to hitch such a long ride, so less fossil fuel is burned; we help the local economy by buying from our neighbors; we help ourselves from buying foods that are fresher and are likely grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides; we help build community in our cities and towns by interacting with the neighbor farmers, or if you are gardening in a community garden, by getting to know your fellow gardeners. I see this as a win-win-win-win situation!!

(This picture is of an apple tree at my parents, a 4-H project from my earlier days. There are several varieties of apple branches grafted onto another apple with a strong root system. I would be erred if I didn't say that my interest in food, gardening and eating well didn't begin while I was growing up. A farm has to be one of the greatest places to be a kid.)