The 100 Mile Diet

We live in a world where there are constant reminders of the national and global nature of our economy. Yet the majority of businesses are small businesses that thrive exclusively on a local basis. Bakeries, auto mechanics, doctors, restaurants, hardware stores; the list goes on and on.

We live in a world where rising gas prices have had an effect on our driving habits and energy prices will make the upcoming winter more costly still. As energy prices go, so go prices on goods and services that rely on that energy.

We also live in a world, or more to the point, a nation, where the number of food related recalls and health warnings continues to rise and where food waste is a national disgrace. As I watched the TV news story of this summer’s warning concerning strawberries, I found myself, as I often do when watching the news, talking to my television in disgust. “Why,” I asked no one in particular, “would I be worried about unhealthy strawberries from 1500 miles away when I can drive 10 minutes and get some fresh from a local farm!”

Minimum distance that North American produce typically travels from farm to plate, in miles: 1,500

When every other television commercial tries to convince us that processed foods are good for us,  that fast food is a healthy choice for our children, and that there’s a health-restoring drug for everything that ails us, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

But the fact is, with a little work it’s easy to find fresh, healthy foods from local sources where you can actually talk to the person who grew your vegetables or raised the pig that your pork chops came from.

Which reminds me of my honeymoon. Stay with me on this one; it’s a short trip.

Renée and I spent part of our honeymoon in the California wine country. Neither of us had been to Napa or Sonoma, so we didn’t really know what to expect. We both thought it would be a little snobby (it seems silly now, but that’s what we thought) and were surprised by the laid back attitudes and the casual atmosphere of the wineries. At one, Van Der Heyden Vineyards, we were immediately engaged in a conversation with a man we would soon learn was the owner and vintner. It was a fascinating opportunity to learn the story of the wine from the man who actually made it. (The 2001 Napa Valley Estate Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best you’ll ever find, and a terrific tale, too!) You can’t do that at Opus One. Just like you can’t do that with the farmers who supply your grocery store with produce and meats from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

One interesting approach to the challenge of eating more fresh, local foods is the 100 mile diet. This isn’t a new idea–it’s been around since 2005–and you may have heard of it before, but the wheel’s still a pretty good idea and that’s been around a while, too. I think it’ something more people should think about, so I’m writing about it. The 100 mile diet focuses on eating foods that are grown or raised within a 100 mile radius of where you live. Think of the of possibilities this presents. It’s a very liberating experience when you can meet and talk to the people who make a living providing good food, grown with care, by practicing sustainable agriculture methods. It simplifies things, takes you back to the days of small family farms and the personal relationships developed between customer and purveyor.

From the 100 mile diet website:

“It’s a living experiment in local eating that will reconnect you with your food, your local farmers, the seasons, and the landscape you live in. It’s the next frontier of food.”

I love this idea; it just makes sense. It’s practical and it has a degree of utility that appeals to me. But there’s another aspect of it that’s even more appealing: it sounds like fun. Discovering new ingredients, trying new recipes, and enjoying the process along the way. It’s also a conscious, active way that you can impact your life, your health, the way food ends up on your table, and the ecosystem.

Also from the website, some interesting facts:

Need another reason to give this a try? Why Eat Local Reason #13 is reason enough for me: Everything about food and cooking is a metaphor for sex.

Tagged as: 100 mile diet, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Cellars, Napa, Napa Cellars, Sonoma Vineyards