100 Mile Challenge

[proptart]

So I just watched the first episode of "The 100 Mile Challenge" on Canadian Food TV. At first I thought "Could this be any easier? They're in one of the most fertile valleys in Canada during the summer months. Let's try this in Saskatchewan in the middle of the winter." Then I realized that some of the participants hadn't even gotten past cooking Kraft Dinner yet.

(Funny moment - the KD cooker tells her husband that they'll be able to make their own mac and cheese once she's made homemade noodles. The husband then asks "But how do we make the orange powdery stuff?")

From a TF perspective I'm sure I'd miss my coconut oil and bananas, but I think most of us would be far better equipped to handle the challenge than non TFers.

[Liquesce]

I'm on a big regional traditional eating kick right now, which while it does lead me to rejecting a small handful of commonly cited TF ideal ingredients and sources, I feel like choosing second best for my body nutritionally but first best for my community and my environment is choosing better for my body overall, kwim?

At any rate, I just this morning found this online tool that lets you draw a radius around any given point on a map ... I just put in my city and zip code and drew two circles -- one 100 mile radius and one 250 miles -- around my area to use a guide for integrating more local sources into my diet. Thought you might find it handy.

(This is my map ... it sounds borderline silly, but I was really surprised at how much area those respective distances really encompass.)

[lil_earthmomma]

I totally kwym about them having it easy! I don't think this local eating works very well for areas like sask, or alberta in the winter. What would we eat other than root veggies all winter? I need my vit C! I know it's not a popular sentiment on mdc, but I like being able to eat oranges in the winter yk?

[spughy]

I live reasonably close to Mission (I think it's in my 100 mile radius actually) and I have to say, YEAH it is totally easy to eat locally here! You do have to step outside the grocery store, but there is everything you need, and eating local is pretty traditional, both by definition and by default - if that makes sense! I mean, there's no refined sugar, just maple syrup and honey - loads of pastured meat, loads of good organic veg, fabulous eggs at the end of every rural driveway, tons of fruit in summer, lots of fish... what more could you want? There's starting to be more grains too, although we could certainly use more.

FWIW though, I grew up in the Yukon and we DID eat as locally as I do now. My dad hunted and had a huge garden, we put away tons of food for winter in the deep freeze and the root cellar, and we spent the last half of the summer foraging like crazy people. No local grains, but that was it. And in Saskatchewan, you wouldn't have that problem!

[spughy]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

I totally kwym about them having it easy! I don't think this local eating works very well for areas like sask, or alberta in the winter. What would we eat other than root veggies all winter? I need my vit C! I know it's not a popular sentiment on mdc, but I like being able to eat oranges in the winter yk?

You freeze stuff! I pick and buy usually around 50-60 lbs of berries in the summer and freeze them - that preserves vit C. And apples & pears store all winter in a good root cellar.

(ETA: I actually do eat oranges in the winter, but only because the one cool thing our local grocery has done is establish a really good relationship with a single family-run organic citrus operation in California. I wouldn't eat oranges from China or wherever.)

[proptart]

Originally Posted by spughy

No local grains, but that was it. And in Saskatchewan, you wouldn't have that problem!

Yeah, here I am surrounded by wheat, barley, rye and oats and I'm trying to do grain-free!

[spughy]

Originally Posted by proptart

Yeah, here I am surrounded by wheat, barley, rye and oats and I'm trying to do grain-free!

Well that's the universe for ya.

[Hibou]

Originally Posted by proptart

So I just watched the first episode of "The 100 Mile Challenge" on Canadian Food TV. At first I thought "Could this be any easier? They're in one of the most fertile valleys in Canada during the summer months. Let's try this in Saskatchewan in the middle of the winter."

I feel the same way. I'd love to eat a completely local diet, but the fresh food is where we really miss out. I'm learning to extend the growing season with cold frame gardening, and hoping to eventually get a small greenhouse set up, without using any electricity. It's also been surprising to me to find out that there are a great variety of fruits that can be grown on the prairies besides just the crab apples, raspberries, and rhubarb that we all grew up with. I'm learning more about food storage with root cellaring, and I also need to do more in the way of sprouting and forcing fresh things in the winter...it can be done, it's just to make it a habit. I'm so not there yet. I don't know if I ever will be completely. In the dead of winter, a box of mandarins or a sweet juicy mango can be a real pick me up!! (Although, we do have access to all the local meat, fish, milk, eggs, grains, etc. that we could possibly want.)

By the way, is the 100 Mile Challenge on CBC? We only have 2 channels here in our neck of the...prairie.

[proptart]

Originally Posted by Hibou

By the way, is the 100 Mile Challenge on CBC? We only have 2 channels here in our neck of the...prairie.

As far as I know it's only on Food TV Canada, but they have an awesome website with lots of information on the show here: http://100mile.foodtv.ca/.

I've been doing sprouts all winter just to have something green that wasn't home-canned or frozen. I finally broke down and bought fresh carrots the other day. I rationalized it this way - we eat 80% local for 75% of the year which has got to be 100% better than 95% of the population.

[Liquesce]

Originally Posted by proptart

I've been doing sprouts all winter just to have something green that wasn't home-canned or frozen. I finally broke down and bought fresh carrots the other day. I rationalized it this way - we eat 80% local for 75% of the year which has got to be 100% better than 95% of the population.

Have you ever read Root Cellaring? It gives a lot of fresh storage solutions that don't all require the traditional dug-into-the-ground storage cellar -- you just reminded me because carrots are one of the easiest things to store fresh.

[proptart]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

Have you ever read Root Cellaring? It gives a lot of fresh storage solutions that don't all require the traditional dug-into-the-ground storage cellar -- you just reminded me because carrots are one of the easiest things to store fresh.

It's on my Amazon wish list - I guess I should increase it's priority and remind DH that our anniversary is coming up.

[Toolip]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

I totally kwym about them having it easy! I don't think this local eating works very well for areas like sask, or alberta in the winter. What would we eat other than root veggies all winter? I need my vit C! I know it's not a popular sentiment on mdc, but I like being able to eat oranges in the winter yk?

Oranges are IN season in the winter. They're one of the best winter fruits. Oranges (of different varieties) start coming on in November and go through March and April :

So anyway, eat your oranges in the winter!! Maybe the problem is that they are not local, but they are in season :

[saratc]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

What would we eat other than root veggies all winter? I need my vit C!

Fermented veggies contain a large amount of vitamin C, especially sauerkraut. Sauerkraut used to be carried on long sea voyages as a vitamin C source to ward off scurvy. We increase our fermented veggies intake in the winter as the produce choices dwindle. Also, winter squash, which is harvested in the fall, but can store away for months into the winter, contain good vitamin C.

[AngelBee]

Bumping. Been watching and am EXTREMELY interested in the idea, but wondering exactly how that would work in the Twin Cities of MN in winter.

[Koalamom]

Subbing!

[Jenn_M]

I absolutely loved Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet. I wish I could get this on our tv. Maybe they'll put the episodes online.

[AngelBee]

Need to figure this out for MN, USA. Most the resources are for Canada. Off to search...

[spughy]

AngelBee - the answer to that is that you preserve the foods of summer, in summer, and eat them in the winter. Canning, pickling, freezing... it can be done, and has been, actually, for most of history.

The question is, how much will you enjoy eating like that, with no fresh vegetables or fruit for the winter? Some people get enough satisfaction from local, self-produced food, but it can be difficult.

ETA: For a realistic look at the amount of work entailed in this, read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle."

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by spughy

AngelBee - the answer to that is that you preserve the foods of summer, in summer, and eat them in the winter. Canning, pickling, freezing... it can be done, and has been, actually, for most of history.

The question is, how much will you enjoy eating like that, with no fresh vegetables or fruit for the winter? Some people get enough satisfaction from local, self-produced food, but it can be difficult.

ETA: For a realistic look at the amount of work entailed in this, read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle."

Thank you for the info.

[chattyprincess]

Originally Posted by proptart

As far as I know it's only on Food TV Canada, but they have an awesome website with lots of information on the show here: http://100mile.foodtv.ca/.

I've been doing sprouts all winter just to have something green that wasn't home-canned or frozen. I finally broke down and bought fresh carrots the other day. I rationalized it this way - we eat 80% local for 75% of the year which has got to be 100% better than 95% of the population.

This is the best quote ever.