Plenty: An Experiment in Eating Locally

I am now complete with Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally, and it was a great read. The story is about a couple, Alisa and James, who create a 100 mile radius around their home in which they will find food for one year. Through the year they drive to local farms, meet interesting folks growing a variety of foods, learn about the history and geography of their region, and take a crash course in creative cooking and food preservation.

My favorite part about this book is that it reads like a story, so I could get caught up in what the authors are feeling and experiencing as we move together through their year of eating locally. I was motivated to wonder how my life would be if I were fully committed, as they were, to seeking real, local, regional, and seasonal food. What kind of people would I meet? What would I learn about my own region and its history? How would my eating habits change if all that was available at a given time was potatoes or asparagus? How would the quality of my food improve if it came straight from the farm to my home?

Although I'm nowhere near making the kind of choice they made, because of this book I have been reevaluating what I actually need when I go to the grocery store. Is that box of Indian Spice tea really necessary, or could I live without it? In working on reducing the amount of money I spend on food each month, I've been asking myself how I can live within my means, select quality products that are as local as possible, buy in bulk, and let go of the luxury items that cost more. James and Alisa did this in a big way: They made do with what they had, found unexpected sources for what they needed, and got creative about how they used it. They made appetizing meals out of strange assortments of vegetables, used all parts of their food, and preserved what they had to make it last. They let go of needing the luxuries and embraced what was available.

What a big choice it is to commit to eating locally. I feel excited about the idea, and yet tentative about it at the same time. Would it mean no more peanut butter? But what amazing things would I find instead? How much time, research, driving, and money would it take? I will keep asking these questions and seeking food sources in my community. In the meantime I do look forward to a great bounty from the coming gardening season, and some saved money from my harvest preservation.

Readers, please share your thoughts on the practicality of eating locally.


Related posts/links:
100 Mile Diet.org- the official website behind the book
Eating Locally?
The Future of Food