The Dark Days Challenge

Challenges in November must be the new thing to pull ourselves out of the winter doldrums. Maybe if we're busy, we won't notice that it is cold, rainy, and miserable outside? As if attempting to write an entire book this month isn't taxing enough, I've decided to take on The Dark Days Challenge.

I first read about this in The Everett Herald on Sunday - the challenge is to make one local meal each week between November 15th and March 31st, 2010. Sure, eating local in the summer is easy when the farmer's markets are teeming with fresh fruits and veggies. Even local meat is easier to come by then. But, the winter? Nah... that's too hard. I would need months to prepare for that.

Yesterday, the Eco Geek columnist/blogger wrote about it again in the same newspaper and announced she was taking the challenge. She also mentioned that she didn't have hens out back, a freezer full of her bountiful summer garden, or anything else. And she has a toddler. We all know that makes cooking, eating - everything - more difficult!

Okay, if all these other people can do it, I decided I can too. Having just decided this morning to take the challenge, I have done absolutely no preparation. They are already 4 days into their first week so I had to think fast. Voila... the smoothie. I know some might not consider it an entire meal, but it is what I eat for breakfast so I'm counting it!

I actually do have a ton of frozen fruits that meet the SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, ethical) requirements of the challenge so it was a natural starting point for me. I started with the Organic Valley milk (Duvall, WA) and added local strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and peaches.

Stay tuned to see if I can handle this challenge... My husband is stopping by the buffalo farm on Whidbey Island today so maybe he'll bring home next week's meal! I'm thinking that dusty pasta maker may finally get pulled off the shelf too!

Anyone else want to sign up??? If not, then feel free to encourage me, give me ideas, and go check out the (not so) Urban Hennery blog to see what the other Dark Days people are up to.

Going Local - How and Why?

Happy Earth Day! The media is full of information today on Earth Day celebrations, but I thought I would go with a more general topic today since its really our day-to-day actions that make a difference.

We hear a lot about the importance of buying local, but what's the fuss really all about? I have to credit the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver for really making me think about this one. Her family spent one year only eating what they could grow, raise, or purchase in their local area (less than 50 miles). All I had to do was take one glance at all those stickers on my fruits and veggies to know that most of my food (particularly in the winter) comes from more than 50 miles away.

Buying local has never really been something I prioritized on a year-round basis. Sure, it's great if all other things are equal, but what about cost and convenience? It's easy to go to the store and load up on produce from the four corners of the Earth, while ignoring the environmental cost of shipping all that food.

Here are a few things of the reasons that I've been starting to prioritize local foods (or other goods, for that matter):
* Local foods have been picked more recently which means more nutrients.
* The freshness of local foods mean they taste better!
* Buying locally doesn't have to be harder once you get started. There are farmer's markets, delivery services, roadside stands, and community sponsored agriculture (CSAs). Check out Local Harvest to see what's in your area.
* Local foods support local farmers which adds a rich diversity to your community and supports your local economy. If you don't want an area filled with big-box stores, you need to support the alternatives.
* Buying locally is closely tied with buying seasonally. You simply can't expect to buy local asparagus all year-round. I did find a nice calendar for food grown in the Northwest by season. In season in April: asparagus, beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, parsnips, radishes, rhubarb, rutabaga, spinach, and turnips.
* Of course, the best (and cheapest) way to reduce the miles your food travels to get to your table is to grow it in your own backyard.

In a recent discussion with my husband, he claimed to be a very good local buyer. He proudly pointed out that all his favorite beverages are local - his never-to-be-without Coke Zero is bottled 20 miles from our house and his favorite beer (Red Hook) is microbrewed even closer. I do buy organic milk and apple juice from local sources as well, so apparently we've cornered the market on local beverages. I guess we all have to start somewhere!

Now, I'm off to go try to figure out to do with the local beets I bought yesterday. I love them in restaurant salads, but have never tried cooking them myself. I'm not Barbara Kingsolver, but I am taking baby steps...