I’m starting to feel like Forrest Gump. Apple pie. Apple cobbler. Apple bread. Applesauce.
A few weeks ago, we decided to kick off the fall food season by visiting a local apple orchard–Stribling Orchard (www.striblingorchard.com) in Markham, VA. My parents, my husband, my daughter and I piled into the family van and headed out for some apple-pickin’ fun. My mother, who always likes to be supportive, was a little anxious about the whole trip. She was convinced that apple picking meant actually climbing the trees to pick apples. Now I know my mom thinks that I can do anything, but anyone who’s known me for five minutes knows that I’m not going to be climbing apple trees. Actually, the whole process is pretty cool. You pull up to a little booth at the bottom of the orchard and tell them how many poles you want and what size. Children get the shorter ones, and adults the taller ones. The poles have a little scoop on the end that you stick behind the apple stem. Once you jab at the stem a little, the apple falls right into the little scoop and you put it in your bag.
This was great fun as we went from tree to tree, trying a few for taste as we went. That day, Granny Smith, Macintosh and Red Delicious were ripe. By the end of an hour, we had each filled two large brown grocery bags with apples. We took them down for weighing and headed back home. It wasn’t until we arrived with our dozens of apples that we realized that we didn’t have a plan for what to do with them. I had planned to make applesauce, but 10 apples make enough sauce for 8 people. I had enough to make sauce for 80 people. We could freeze it, but I suspected that we would never have the appetite for that much applesauce. We could eat the apples as snacks, but none of us likes to bite into a cold apple, so you have to remember to take enough out to get to room temperature, but not so many that they rot before you eat them. That’s the trick about real, fresh produce–it’s alive, which means when it dies, it becomes inedible very quickly.
I say all of this because I think planning is one of the absolute keys to successfully eating locally. When you go to a grocery store, you might stock up on 20 or 30 cans or bags of frozen vegetables. The theory is that you’ll always have enough around to fix whatever you want. But in order to eat really good meals, you need to plan every week. It’s not so hard, I’ve discovered. It’s just as easy to buy 4 potatoes that you know you’ll eat on Wednesday as it is to open a box of the fake stuff and wait for it to look like mashed potatoes. We were recently watching a video about life for families in Russia. The family they profiled shops for local food EVERY DAY. While most of us can’t manage to fit that into our schedules, it does seem like frequent trips to the farmer’s market with a meal plan can make a difference about how much good food gets cooked versus thrown away.
I often get distracted from my resolve to eat locally. I think we all do. We’re very busy, and we want to spend time working, with family, or having fun. But I realized recently that, if you think about it, food is the key to all of those things. Good food, well-planned and well made, can lead to quality time with family and friends. I had as much fun playing at the apple orchard as I do going to a movie. I have a great time cooking with my daughter. And I know that, if I can stop going through the fast food drive through and start eating good, pure food, I will have a lot more time in my life to spend doing the things I love.
By the way, if you have a craving for applesauce, I’m your girl. And to my friends at work, help yourselves to some apples. They’re in the kitchen.
October 17th, 2006
Yesterday, Chef Barton Seaver of Cafe Saint-Ex visited Vanguard to kick off the 2006 Buy Local Challenge. He led us in a lively discussion about where our food comes from, showed us a host of local, seasonal produce, and made us a salad of pea shoots with a roasted lemon dressing.
October 4th, 2006
1. Learn that supporting your local economy makes you feel good.
2. Understand what the messages behind sustainable agriculture, organic farming, and healthy living really mean.
3. Find out how your food is grown and how it gets to you.
4. Uncover new-to-you, local ingredients that can spice up your recipe box.
5. Identify challenges to buying local and learn ways to overcome them.
6. Compare the difference in taste between local and conventional foods.
7. Realize the nutritional benefits found in local foods but not in processed foods.
8. Spot new places to shop for great food and meet new people to buy from.
9. Become aware of who grows your food and what it means to them to be a food producer.
10. Have Fun! Learning about and trying new foods can be a wonderful experience.
October 4th, 2006
It’s fresh. Buying local food means there is less time between when your food was harvested and when it gets to your table.
It’s better for the environment. Local foods require less packaging and travel less distances, saving on waste and pollution.
It’s better for you. Local foods are more nutritious: food loses vitamins and minerals as it ages.
It supports local economy. Buying from local farmers supports businesses in your community, aiding the overall local economy.
It creates access to food experts. Buying local food creates the opportunity for you to build a relationship with your food supplier, learning about what he or she knows best—food.
October 4th, 2006
You might find yourself in a decision-making quandary when trying to buy local. Not everything you’re used to can be made in the local area. Does that mean you should forgo, or worse, give up and reach for the Doritos? No! Here are other values that will help you continue to support your local economy and the buying local concept when spending your food dollars.
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then—Family Farm. When faced with Kraft or Cabot cheeses, Cabot—a dairy co-op in Vermont—is the better choice. Supporting family farms helps to keep food processing decisions out of the hands of corporate conglomeration.
If not FAMILY FARM, then—Organic. This is one of the most readily available alternatives in the market and making this choice protects the environment and your body from harsh chemicals and hormones.This is one of the most readily available alternatives in the market and making this choice protects the environment and your body from harsh chemicals and hormones.
If not ORGANIC, then—Local business: Basics like coffee and bread make buying local difficult. Try a local coffee shop or bakery to keep your food dollars close to home.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then—Terroir: Not terror…terroir, which means, “Taste of the Earth”. Purchase foods famous for the region they are grown in and support the agriculture that produces your favorite non-local foods such as Brie cheese from Brie, France or Parmesan cheese from Parma, Italy.
October 4th, 2006
1. Take public transportation or be prepared to walk. Unlike the supermarket, it’s difficult to park close since streets are often blocked in and around the market.
2. Take plenty of cash. It makes each transaction faster as the vendors typically aren’t “wired” for credit cards (think carbon copies.) And, it’s an easy way to work backwards against a budget.
3. Get there early for good selection. There is no “back room” that magically restocks the shelves. When these vendors are out of goods, they pack up and head home, especially considering most of them got on the road before dawn to bring their food to your neighborhood.
4. Don’t be surprised if the produce is a little dirty. There aren’t fancy cases that “rain” and “thunder” atop the fruits and veggies. Not to mention organic produce isn’t always pretty. However, there are some vendors with carefully handled, triple-washed produce. It just depends.
5. Talk to the vendors. If you are unsure about a new ingredient or vendor, ask for a recipe or better yet, a sample. Vendors love to give samples and while you may arrive on an empty stomach you can leave full after sampling cheese, berries, fruit, and milk.
6. If you don’t have anything nice to say…Unlike a supermarket where your criticism of the products will likely go unnoticed, at a farmer’s market, you are speaking directly with the person who grew your food. If something doesn’t look so great, bypass it and ask for a recommendation. Growers are proud of their offerings, and they’ll relish the chance to show off their best.
7. Expect a wide array of produce. You’ll be surprised by how a seasonal selection offers many new and unusual foods. And, if you can’t find something, chances are, a few tables down you’ll find what you were looking for as their specialties vary. You should have no trouble picking up two-thirds of your grocery list at a farmer’s market.
8. Try the meat, you won’t be disappointed. Many people think they can’t find meats at a farmer’s market, but usually there are a few meat vendors with all the cuts you’d find at your supermarket and even more. When is the last time you saw spicy goat sausage at Giant?
9. Take your own bag(s). A good sized market bag is a lifesaver for you and the vendors as it cuts down on their overhead and allows you to really stock up. Maybe bring a cooler sack for meats and cheeses and a mesh bag for produce.
10. Hit Starbucks after the farmer’s market. While for many of us, chain establishments are a fact of life, canvassing a farmer’s market with a fast food container or coffee chain drink in your hand doesn’t send the farmer’s a strong message of support.
October 4th, 2006
Hit the farmer’s market before the supermarket. Plan your meal around local ingredients you find at the market, and round out your needs with a quick trip to the supermarket.
Shop on the weekends. Most markets take place on the weekends and give you an opportunity to spend time browsing the fresh selections and chatting with vendors. You can go home and begin preparing your local foods for the week.
Feed the freezer. Imagine fresh fruits and veggies in January?!?! It’s easy. Make lasagna with local tomatoes or a soup packed with fresh veggies and freeze them! You can also make personal size meals for a brown bag lunch.
Branch out. Maybe your usual food repertoire could use some fresh ideas. The farmer’s market provides a perfect chance to try new ingredients when they’re in season, and lets you talk to its grower to find out the best way to prepare your new food.
Go out! Many DC Metro area restaurants emphasize local foods in their dishes. Ask around, you might be surprised how many options you find that serve up local flavor.
October 4th, 2006
Flirt with your food producer! Brush up on your conversational skills and talk about the food you’re purchasing. Buying local is about many things, including building relationships. It’s important not only to support your local economy, but also to understand the food you’re eating. This fresh, local food is good for you, and tastes good. Who knows most about that than the person who grew it?
Whether buying rutabaga at a farmers market or ordering a cut of meat at Whole Foods, you’re interacting with someone and food is what you’ve got in common. Take some time to talk about it.
Listed below are some suggested questions to help you break the ice. Ask away…
• Where does this food come from?
• How did it get here?
• How was it grown?
• What’s in season?
• How can I use it?
• What serving suggestions or recipes might you have?
• Do you sell to any area restaurants?
• How does your price compare to supermarkets?
October 4th, 2006
Buying local is about supporting the local economy (no matter where you are), but most importantly, it’s about learning. Learning about food, learning about health and nutrition, learning about the local economy. Buying locally grown foods supports many aspects of daily life than you might know, and this Challenge is a great opportunity to find out how.
Here are the criteria that will help you know what to do during the challenge:
Local is? Local foods can be defined as anything grown within a 250-mile radius of your current location. Here in DC, that translates to Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
But where? It’s not a problem if you’re out of town for work or for vacation, just eat local to that area. It will be fun to ask around the city your visiting to identify restaurants with local menus or farmer’s markets you can visit for a snack.
And who? Tell everyone. Spread the buy local buzz wherever you go and be sure to invite folks to visit the website and/or join the blog.
So when? Whenever you can. This Challenge is self-regulated. Commit goals for yourself and strive to meet them based on your deadlines. Pick a daily objective, weekly objective, or a monthly objective. Work with what’s right for you.
September 21st, 2006
This year, participants can CHALLENGE themselves to meet all or some of the following objectives:
- I will eat one home-cooked meal prepared using mainly local ingredients.
- I will incorporate one never-before-tried local ingredient in my diet.
- I will brown bag one lunch per week that is local, organic, fresh, etc. and compare the nutritional value to the lunch I ate the day before.
- I will talk to one food producer or vendor about my food.
- I will visit one farmer’s market to either talk to a vendor or purchase food.
- I will respond to a weekly staff survey about the Buy Local Challenge.
The Buy Local Challenge is completely voluntary. You set your own rules. You may decide that you will strive to meet all of the objectives on a daily basis, or select one objective you would like to meet per week.
How much are you willing to commit to buying local? It’s up to you.
If possible, keep track of the dollar amount you spend supporting your local economy each week.
September 1st, 2006