Eating Close to Home

Eating close to home isn't about finding the best local restaurants, it's about eating food grown close to home. I haven't quite figured out what that means for us in terms of money or time or any practical consideration. But what it means for the moment is I'm no longer content with picking up our food from the CSA and adding our fresh, local, organic tomatoes and pumpkin and eggplant and garlic and other goodies to food from far flung places. Don't get me wrong--I love food from far flung places. I love the flavors and textures that different cultures and geography contribute to our menus. I would be bored with the same food over and over even if it was from my favorite cuisine (Italian or Indian or Thai depending on the moment).

But we need to start considering the fuel wasted in transporting that food. We need to consider what agri-business is doing to local farms. We need to consider how federal farm subsidies influence the choices farmers make. We need to think about the social and environmental consequences of what we eat.

I have no intention of committing to a radical, though thoughtful and admirable, diet of food grown close to home as one couple did on the 100 Mile Diet. I don't plan on committing only to slow food or only buying things I can find through the Local Harvest Site. I'm not sure what I'm committing to doing other than becoming more mindful of what I eat and where it comes from. It doesn't mean I won't buy that really great Indian chutney or Costa Rican bananas. Yet. It just means I'll think more about it, pay more attention, and make an effort to find local food first. Given our current schedules I don't know how far I'm willing to travel for things, but if I can find a fairly convenient source of flour or eggs, why not?