Baseline

Ben had an idea: What if, for a period of time, we would track what we eat now, see what's local and what's not, then work to replace as many non-local items as we can?

As I am always up for food-related projects, I liked the idea. I had also wanted to get back to writing this weblog on a regular basis, and this seemed like a good motivation. I had also considered participating in the 100 foot diet challenge and this sounded like it would work well as a first step toward that goal as well.

So without further ado, an inventory of our eating today:
Breakfast: Pancakes, homemade syrup, honey, jam, strawberries, yogurt, peanut butter, coffee, milk
100 foot ingredients: Egg, strawberries
Other local ingredients: Wheat, milk, butter, buttermilk, yogurt, honey, strawberries in jam, peanuts in peanut butter
Non local: Buckwheat, flaxseed, salt, baking powder, sugar, maple flavoring, coffee
Notes: With the syrup (homemade) and the jam, this meal probably contained more sugar than most that we eat. The sugar or the coffee probably traveled the farthest. The coffee was actually roasted locally and is organic and fair trade, so I don't feel as bad about that as the bought-in-a-bag-from-who-knows-where refined charcoal filtered white sugar.

Lunch: Mexican-style rice and beans
100 foot: Swiss chard, cilantro, canned tomatillo salsa (partially)
Local: Onions, bacon/chicken fat
Non local: Rice, pinto beans, cumin, cheese, salt

Snack: Pie, milk
Local: Cherries, wheat, butter, milk
Non local: Sugar, almond flavoring, tapioca, salt

Supper: Omlet, turnips, bread
100 foot: Eggs, turnips and greens
Local: Onions, garlic, milk, bacon/chicken fat
Non local: Soy sauce, bread, black pepper
Notes: The bread was an impulse buy from the farmer's market--locally made, but (probably) not local ingredients.

Snack: Pie, milk
100 foot: Rhubarb, strawberries
Local: Wheat, butter, milk
Non: Sugar, corn starch
Notes: I know, I know--two kinds of pie in one day. My sister visited on Monday and we spent the day picking and cooking.

Today is looking like a lot of sugar for the dominant non-local food. This is kind of surprising to me because I don't think I eat that much sugar. I think the pies are an anomaly.