Any Localvores?

[Belinda Barfield]

Cliff Rohrabacher's thread about tomatoes started me thinking. With rising fuel costs, thus rising food costs, how would I fare if I became a Localvore? If you are not familiar with the program, check here. (http://www.postoilsolutions.org/)

Any Localvore want to share your experience?

I'd fare pretty well if I stuck with foods beginning with "P". I'd have plenty of peas, peanuts, peaches, pears, plums, and pecans. I'd really be hurting for milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, flour, sugar (which I rarely use thankfully), and rice. If I was really motivated I would have salt since I live near the ocean. I'd REALLY miss Doritos, banana popsicles, and Bourbon - not necessarily in that order. I can't think of a local source for beef, pork, or chicken. I can't live off fish and shellfish since they are all contaminated with mercury and such.

Oh well, a partial comittment is better than none at all. There has to be a Dorito tree somewhere around here.

[Lee DeRaud]

I eat pretty much any foodstuff that's within arm's reach...does that count?

[Belinda Barfield]

I eat pretty much any foodstuff that's within arm's reach...does that count?

Yes, Lee, I'm fairly certain it does. Right in line with your hunter/gatherer sig line.

[Jason Roehl]

I'd be alright with that idea in a post-oil world. Until then, only consuming locally-produced goods could actually lead to MORE energy usage. Why? Because local growers aren't necessarily the most efficient at producing everything that is locally consumed. Not to mention, there are places like New York City, which in no way could supply its own food, probably not even if all of the state's produce were trucked in. Basically it goes back to the basic economic concepts of "comparative advantage" vs. "absolute advantage". Why are all the huge cities along the coast? Because that's an advantage at receiving large container ships. Why is much of the Midwest sparsely populated? Because that's where a LOT of the best farmland in the WORLD is--an advantage in growing large amounts of grain.

All that said, though, I do like to support local business if/when I can, partly because I am one myself. Oftentimes, though, I just can't justify the added cost. But we do plant our own garden...and my in-laws are beef-cattle farmers (I haven't spent a whole lot on beef since I've been married, usually just processing fees on a quarter).

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I am told that there are some problems with eating food entirely from one geographic area. At least my Nutrition instructor from college said so. Her position was that years ago when people ate everything from the local area they missed the variations in minerals and other factors influenced by local soils witch food from other localities would be supplementing. She also insisted that if one locality has an excess of anything (whether it was toxic or not) that too much of it might be detrimental and eating exclusively from one local might ensure such a dietairy over abundance of whatever is in excess in your area.

[Belinda Barfield]

Jason and Cliff, you both make good points regarding thiings that hadn't crossed my mind. Thanks for your input.

[Keith Outten]

Why are all the huge cities along the coast? Because that's an advantage at receiving large container ships. Why is much of the Midwest sparsely populated? Because that's where a LOT of the best farmland in the WORLD is--an advantage in growing large amounts of grain.

Jason,

The East Coast was settled first, secondly Europe is on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean from us...a major shipping advantage and that is where all the tools and equipment came from...before we started our own manufacturing.

I might remind you that we do have great farmland here in the east, in fact the DelMarVa Peninsula is some of the best farmland in the country. Where do you think the farmers in Idaho get their seed potatoes from? Without seed there wouldn't ever have been a potato grown in Idaho.

As far as being able to feed ourselves I think we would do very well here in my neck of the country, there isn't much we don't produce right here in Virginia. We even build a fair amount of ships for the Government and can put a man on the moon again if necessary.

Our neighbors to the North and South of us do a right hefty business producing a wide variety of food for the table, I think the East Coast is in pretty good shape and we can feed those city dwellers in NYC if we have to for a very long time

BTW I drove end to end through the middle of Indiana many years ago, never seen so much corn in one place in all my life. Other than Notre Dame, the big race track and corn is there anything else in Indiana?



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[Mike SoRelle]

Jason,

The East Coast was settled first, secondly Europe is on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean from us...a major shipping advantage and that is where all the tools and equipment came from...before we started our own manufacturing.

I might remind you that we do have great farmland here in the east, in fact the DelMarVa Peninsula is some of the best farmland in the country. Where do you think the farmers in Idaho get their seed potatoes from? Without seed there wouldn't ever have been a potato grown in Idaho.

As far as being able to feed ourselves I think we would do very well here in my neck of the country, there isn't much we don't produce right here in Virginia. We even build a fair amount of ships for the Government and can put a man on the moon again if necessary.

Our neighbors to the North and South of us do a right hefty business producing a wide variety of food for the table, I think the East Coast is in pretty good shape and we can feed those city dwellers in NYC if we have to for a very long time

BTW I drove end to end through the middle of Indiana many years ago, never seen so much corn in one place in all my life. Other than Notre Dame, the big race track and corn is there anything else in Indiana?



.

Well, along the ohio river where Indiana meets Kentucky and Ohio's state lines there's plenty of casinos, does that count?

Mike

[Leigh Costello]

I am a big supporter of farmer's markets. We raise some of our own veggies in the summer and always our own blackberries - made a pie the other night from last year's crop. I have also heard about mixing up the source of food because of minerals. Never put much stock in it though, my best friend's folks never ate something they didn't grow. Both lived long lives. What everyone should have, IMHO, is a potted plant of some sort. I prefer aloe for in the house and tomatoes on the deck.

If I could find a Dorito plant, and a ready-to-eat chocolate plant I would be in heaven.

[Belinda Barfield]

BTW I drove end to end through the middle of Indiana many years ago, never seen so much corn in one place in all my life. Other than Notre Dame, the big race track and corn is there anything else in Indiana?



.

Keith, just to name a few products of, and industries in, Indiana -
Barkeepers Friend is manufactured there - one of my favorite cleaning products
Batesville Casket Company
Clabber Girl Baking Powder
Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals
Indiana Limestone
Koetter Woodworking
N.K. Hurst HamBeens - great beans
The Saturday Evening Post
Vera Bradley

[Keith Outten]

Thanks Belinda, I knew there had to be more stuff in Indiana than those huge corn fields

Leigh, I agree with you concerning the idea of minerals in the soil and the impact on an individuals diet. Although it may have some substance I don't think it is a major issue. My Dads family are mostly farmers on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, for almost 400 years. They all live very long lives and many generations grew up on farms and the only food came from what they raised. I remember cattle, dairy cows, hogs, chickens and fresh fruit in season when we would visit. Huge gardens and everyone was canning garden surplus for the remainder of the year. They did lack pollution and preservatives.

.

[Jason Roehl]

Belinda, you forgot (about Indiana):

South Bend is in the north,
North Vernon is in the south,
And French Lick ain't as good as it sounds.

There is a lot of corn, but most farmers that I've seen alternate it with soybeans each year.

West Lafayette also contains the home office of CSPAN (founder is a Purdue grad).

There is a Dusenburg museum in Auburn (just north of Fort Wayne).

Okay, it's late, I'm tired, and the brain isn't working too well anymore.

[Bill Edwards(2)]

Keith, just to name a few products of, and industries in, Indiana -
Barkeepers Friend is manufactured there - one of my favorite cleaning products
Batesville Casket Company
Clobber Girl Baking Powder
Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals
Indiana Limestone
Jotter Woodworking
N.K. Hurst Ham Beens - great beans
The Saturday Evening Post
Vera Bradley

We've started making a lot of Ethanol which we'd gladly sell you, so you weren't stuck eating peas and peanut butter.

[Bill Edwards(2)]

And French Lick ain't as good as it sounds.

Hey! Hey! I graduadated hi skool thar.

[Belinda Barfield]

[quote=Leigh Costello;841937]I have also heard about mixing up the source of food because of minerals. Never put much stock in it though, my best friend's folks never ate something they didn't grow. Both lived long lives.

Leigh, I agree with you concerning the idea of minerals in the soil and the impact on an individuals diet. Although it may have some substance I don't think it is a major issue. My Dads family are mostly farmers on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, for almost 400 years. They all live very long lives and many generations grew up on farms and the only food came from what they raised. I remember cattle, dairy cows, hogs, chickens and fresh fruit in season when we would visit. Huge gardens and everyone was canning garden surplus for the remainder of the year. They did lack pollution and preservatives.

.

Leigh and Keith, I agree with both of you to a certain extent. My family also raised most of the food we consumed. My dad still has grits and cornmeal ground from the corn he grows. My grandparents and great grandparents had long, and mostly healthy lives.

Keith you touched on this, ground and water contamination are my concerns with "living off the land" in a very small area. Most of the family farm has been sold off. My parents home is now surrounded by many acres of fields. I have watched the crops change over the years, and with them the chemicals necessary for production. From tobacco, to peanuts, to soybeans, to cotton - all were fertilized and treated with pesticides. My parents have well water, and their garden gets runoff from the fields. The minerals in the area may be good, but I think it possible to "consume" too many contaminates which are detrimental to one's health.