Barbara Kingsolver brought the idea of locivore food growing and buying to the fore with her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. In it, she speaks to the value of focusing on eating locally instead of using fossil fuel to transport food long distances.
While Kingsolver feels a moral and environmental obligation to do so, most people are starting to feel a financial obligation to do so. The price of fresh fruits and vegetables (especially organic) is skyrocketing.
Case in point. Today, at Hannaford’s, the price of 2 red bell peppers was $5.99! Yes, nearly THREE DOLLARS apiece! Holy Hannah.
Forget summer gardening. It’s time to start building a year-round green house…
Hey! Just wanted to give kudos on the great posts. Keep them coming! :)
This has been so much on my mind lately. I try to put my money where my mouth is and buy organic as much as possible and it is insanely expensive. I don’t even try to buy red peppers in the store anymore. I do get them sometimes at Costco because they are only maybe a dollar a piece there but they are grown in Chile or something–not so good.
It is such a change in lifestyle to really eat locally because it is hard. I am not a fantastic cook (one that just grabs whatever’s on hand and whips up something good–that to me is a true cook) and to constantly come up with recipes that my husband, daughter, and I like composed of in season ingredients seems a daunting task. And although I am lucky enough to live in a pretty great climate for gardening I am not all that confident yet in my gardening skills. Sometimes it is overwhelming to me, I want to do what is best for the environment and my family, but it all seems so complicated sometimes. I guess everything gets better and easier the more you practice and do. At least I hope so! And I didn’t even touch on the organic and humanely raised meat issue. Aiii.
I was just thinking about writing about this very same subject. Last year was the first year we didn’t grow our own food and it’s been really terrible. We should have joined one of the local CSAs and didn’t.
I also have to second the above comment about having Barabara Kingsolver over for dinner. While reading Animal,Vegetable,Mineral, I kept thinking to myself how much I would love her as a neighbor!
I can’t believe how expensive food has gotten. And for all the wrong reasons too, it seems.
Can’t wait to get back to North Africa! But I suppose that doesn’t help you all.
I agree with you. Prices in France and fresh produce in particular seem to have doubled over the past few years.
We’re lucky enough to be able to combat the problem with a vegetable patch that keeps us going for most of the year. But what about those people who live in cities?
We joined a CSA—all organic, all locally grown, all seasonal. It’s less than store prices, and SO MUCH better.
We are in the subtropics so get a good long growing season, too.
Well, with high prices of vegetables and fruits, I daresay you’re right. It’s a pity though because the high prices of vegatables and fruits would make it hard for us to sustain the nutrients from these because most probably, we will not include these in our daily diet.
I live in a mild (not tropic) climate and everyone thought I was crazy when I planted a tomato in August. It was one developed for cool weather and with just a little pampering, I am still picking tomatoes from it. They don’t taste as good as my May tomatoes, but they are better than supermarket ones. I will be doing more winter gardening.
I loved this book. It inspired me buy a CSA membership. Barbara Kingsolver is amazing. She walks the walk.
Did you say tomato or tama-toe? I paid $5.99 for an heirloom organic tomato today. Yep, outta hand but it was organic and we have the local shop that gets ALL their produce from local farmers.
Holy Hannah is right! I wish I could grow vegies year round. When I win the lottery…
Not only can you eat locally but you can eat seasonally as well.
We just bought a Farm share since we live in the city and I have limited space for gardening… (Targ pees on everything outside.. gotta love the boys)
We get organically grown seasonal vegetables for 22 weeks of the year.. and 16 weeks of fruits. Ended up about $25.00 a week for enough veggies for four people. We have two people and three dogs who eat veggies.. should work out beautifully!
Plus we get to support local sustainable agriculture.
I often think I could live on red peppers. I’ve got some bold plans for vegetables and herbs this summer-not to mention the usual perennials and annuals.
Karen, we also shop at Hannaford. The price of vegetables is really getting out of hand. I find myself substituting with green bell peppers when I really want to use red ones because they are half the price!
I absolutely adore Barbara Kingsolver….there’s a lady I would invite to a dinner party and spend the entire evening stuck in a corner talking to.
No kidding… Holy Hannah…and yes, I have my seed catalog spread out on the coffee table right now.
How about cold frames?