It's been 5 months since we started eating local. The growing season is definitely over for us in our garden. We have a lot of bok choy, collards, a few brussel sprouts that are fairly shrimpy, some turnips, cabbages, parsnips and carrots left in the ground. I'm going to leave them all there to see what happens as the weather gets colder. I know the brussel sprouts and greens do fine until January or so. Leaves are falling fast and they will all be raked onto the garden to protect what's left and to compost for Spring.
We have a lot of food, for now. I feel really proud of us for doing all we have done. It's been amazing to give up our $150 a week grocery store habit. We spend money at the food co-op, but that's mostly on coffee, tea, beer/wine, dish soap, and flour.
We started this project wanting to stay within 100 miles, but soon branched out into the entire state of Michigan. As crappy as our economy is, it's very important to me to support as many farmers in this state as I can, if they have what I need. We have bought meat from friends living outside the 100 mile circle. I have bought flour from outside the circle. But all of it has come from Michigan. I love a challenge but I despise extremism. I am not all about making life more difficult, as crazy as that may sound here.
We're nearly halfway through our "Year", but I've given up on that.
Instead, my sweet husband and I have figured out how to better grow what we and the kids like (losing some green casualties along the way). We have learned how to can better, faster, and more efficiently. (We both agree canning this summer was like a strange combination of marriage counseling and date nights.)
We've saved a lot of money by buying meat in bulk and staying out of grocery stores, where impulse buying gets us both every time.
I feel our lives are so much simpler for being outdoors more, for really knowing every nook and cranny of our yard, and for consciously thinking about how much food our family needs during every season. I feel like we are also far more in touch with seasons as we eat what's available when it's freshest. That's not to say we don't have frozen/canned summer fruit stored away, or that our kids look at a friend's snack-time banana like it's a whole chocolate cake.
We'll see how winter treats us. We'll see if we have enough food and if our kids will actually eat the fermented and pickled foods once the "good stuff" is gone. :) Whatever happens, I'm really happy for all I've learned. It was so much easier than I had anticipated.
Instead of an "eat local challenge", we have found a better way to live and eat.
4 comments:
I absolutely adore your comment about canning being counseling AND date night. How sweet, really!
Yay, though, on all you have accomplished this year. And it's good to assess, too, what worked and what did not. By around April you will have a very clear picture about what you need to grow more of for the next year.
(It was around February that I really got into sprouting seeds, especially wheat berries and alfalfa, to keep us eating fresh veggies: keep that in mind! Mid-Aug. rains killed most of my cabbages and carrots so our stores of fresh veggies was really low then.)
Bravo to you! I really want to strive to eat more local and grow more of my own, I have plenty of space. Each year I tackle a bit more.
Thanks, ladies. I'm a big fan of both your blogs. :)
El, sprouting things come Jan-Feb sounds like a really good idea. I have the little Euro sprouter thing and various sprouting seeds.Might do that sooner than later come to think of it. I'm missing salads already.
Sugarcreek, next summer we want to see pics of your garden...in all your spare time!
I read this a wile ago and also was fond of the "counseling and date night." We'll be finishing up our applesauce canning tomorrow! Remember that rice, while not local, is really low impact in its transport, so to my mind it goes well with your goals.
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