Take the localvore challenge, I did

Starting Saturday, Sept. 8 you can go local thanks to the Localvore Challenge.

I took the challenge last week, figuring if I can do it, anyone can do it. For the most part I had success, of course there were set backs and cheats and things I really missed but all in all I learned a lot and am really glad I gave it a chance. Read about my experience here.
I think you'll feel the same way.

So far almost 170 people have signed up for the challenge at the Lansing Localvore website, if you feel up for it, do the same! You can choose to eat local for a day, a meal or the whole week like I did.

Write about your experiences here, I'd love to hear how others did with the challenge! Good Luck!

Comments

[CB]

Where’s the protein? That’s what I wondered when I woke up from my 5 hour nap on Saturday. I was a wee bit tired after the pancake breakfast. I felt like I’d been working on that meal for 3 months. And unfortunately, because I was helping organize the Localvore Challenge, I hadn’t had time to do my own preparations. There was no local cheese in the house and I hadn’t cooked any beans.

Those cashews and soy nuts in the cupboard were looking pretty tempting. But instead I tightened my belt, figuratively speaking, and went into the garden and picked cherry tomatoes, kohlrabi, basil and Swiss chard and pulled an onion. Back in the kitchen, I cut them up and . . . reflexively reached for the olive oil. Well, that would be my first Marco Polo item. I stir fried everything together and it was tasty and filling. And then I soaked some beans so that the next day would be easier.

Today I had Westwind Milling bread with AppleSchram apple butter for breakfast. Lunch was more bread, this time with cheese and tomatoes followed by a peach and an apple. In the afternoon, I took the dog to a park and stopped at Meijers on the way home. I heard they had a lot of local watermelons and my mouth was fixed for a juicy red melon.

Sure enough, there was a sign touting Howell melons. But which ones were the Dinkfield Farms melons? Was it the canteloupes or the watermelons? Or neither? Or some of each? I asked the guy working in the produce section. He didn’t know. He said they only way you could tell is if it had a sticker on it. I left disappointed.

[Sarah Laurens]

Taking the localvore challenge has been made easier by the bounty of my vegetable and herb garden. The tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans are still in abundance. Eggplants and peppers are coming... as for protein, we have been enjoying fresh quail and pheasant from our neighbor who hunts locally. Both pheasant and quail meat are tender and have a delicate flavor, require very short cooking times. Local free-range eggs make the fluffiest quiche!!! Yummmmmm

[DBP]

I have my own garden and local sources of meat, so two big problems are solved. What I'm having most difficulty with are staples, especially vegetable oil. Also, I'm wondering how much is really saved if I have to spend a lot of time driving around from place to place, which means more gasoline cost and greenhouse gas, just to obtain a few days' supply of food. All in all, however, this has been a great experience. I've already learned a lot and will change some habits in the future because of this experience.

[CB]

You are totally right, DBP, that driving all over to get locally grown food means there is no energy savings. It is best to buy at markets rather than driving to Argentine to get flour and Charlotte to get cider, etc. Local soy oil is supposed to be available at the East Lansing Food Coop soon. Doesn't help us now, but you could call and ask them. Meanwhile, there's local butter at the Food Coop and you can always use oil as one of your Marco Polo items. Check www.lansingarealocalvores.org/foodsources for a list of where to buy staples.

[Maureen H McDonough]

We are having a big challenge finding local restaurants that serve local food. Any ideas?

[Emily]

Hey Maureen,

As of the time I took the challenge there were no places participating..I might check Green River Cafe in East Lansing though, I heard the owner told the group he'd try to get some local stuff for this week...
anyone else have suggestions?

[CB]

Here's one option:
Thurs. Sept. 13 Local First Reception 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Dublin Square Restaurant in East Lansing 327 Abbott Rd. Featuring all local foods, plus local beer and wine samples (Beer is made but not grown locally). Suggested $10 donation. Local First is a new organization promoting not only local food, but all things local.

We wanted to get more restaurants involved in the Localvore Challenge this year, but we didn't have the volunteer power to do it this year. If you want to get involved, you can help us line up more restaurants for next year! Send us an email at info@lansingarealocalvores.org

[Jen]

I am in Grand Rapids, but grew up in Grand Ledge so I'm watching this closely! Plus, I am getting good ideas because of course Lansing 'food' would be within 100 miles. We have a local two week challenge here in town which just started Friday. I'm so glad I found this as it gives me more resources not just for the challenge, but for the future!

[CB]

Does the Grand Rapids group have a website? We could link to it. And if you find a local source for vinegar, oil, or yogurt please let us know!

[EMR]

I am turning into a muffin. I missed out on the local flour last Wednesday, so I picked up Cranberry-Raisin Muffin Mix instead and baked mini muffins yesterday. They are delicious, but I have eaten a ridiculous amount of them in the last 2 days!!! Goal for tomorrow: diversify my snacks.

[kris zawisza]

I decided to try to prepare all of our dinners from local foods this week. We had chili and cornbread last night, using ground beef from TMZ Farms (Brighton) and Jennings Bros (Nashville) corn meal and spelt flour. I bought these items plus most of the veggies at the Lansing City Market. Beans were a challenge. I couldn't find any locally grown ones so I used Eden Foods (Clinton) canned beans. I e-mailed them to ask about the source of the foods in some of their canned and packaged products and here's what they said:

"The beans for the Edensoy are grown in Michigan, the kombu is from Japan and the Sea Salt is from Portugal. All flavored and unflavored beans are from the midwest. Tomatoes are from Canada. Wheat for the pasta is from the midwest."

ELFCO labels Eden soymilk as a 100-mile product and I assume Eden Foods will also be the source of the soybean oil that is forthcoming.

I also e-mailed Kellogg to ask if any of their cereals are made solely from Michigan grains but have not received a reply. Unlikely I suppose, but maybe it will plant a thought.

[CB]

Good for you for trying local dinners!

For future reference, you can buy local dry beans at Horrock's. They're from Carlson-Arbogast Farms in Howard City, MI. Some of the beans are labeled "grown by" and others are labeled "packaged and grown by."

ELFCO considers everything PACKAGED within 100 miles of Lansing to be part of the 100 mile diet. For purposes of the Localvore Challenge, we're only considering things GROWN within 100 miles of Lansing to be local.

Eden Foods is within 100 miles, but as they told you, their ingredients are not necessarily local.

The much-awaited soy oil is actually grown and produced in the MI Thumb by Thumb Oils. (I think a different name might help. . . .)

[Will Dwyer]

Instead of eating locally, I'm surprised nobody has come up with the idea of using a local currency like Ithaca, New York has done (see www.ithacahours.com for more info). By using a local currency as an exchangable alternative to US dollars, you encourage local commerce, whether it be food, clothing, or any other goods and services.