IT’S A LOCALVORE LIFE…
2012-05-28 at 02:28 pm
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What is a Localvore?
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Just kidding………..
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A Localvore is a person dedicated to eating food grown and produced locally. There are a lot of good reasons to eat locally grown and produced food.
- Less resources (primarily fossil fuels) are expended packaging and transporting local food.
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- It supports the local economy – more money remains in our local community.
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- It is healthier – processing and preservatives are less important since the food doesn’t have to travel so far.
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- It is safer and thus localvores are less susceptible to foodborn illnesses.
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- It is more honest – honesty in terms of the food source (i.e. organic seeds vs. GMO seeds) and the growing/producing process. It has to be! We are all neighbors.
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- If for no other reason – IT TASTES BETTER!
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According to Susan Klien, Director of the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce, $0.43 of every $1.00 spent at a locally owned business stays in the community whereas only $0.13 out of that same $1.00 stays in the community if you shop at a national chain.
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Did you know…
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One pound of pre-washed lettuce contains 80 calories of food energy. According to Cornell ecologist David Pimental, growing, chilling, washing, packaging, and transporting that box of organic salad to a plate on the east coast takes more than 4,600 calories of fossil fuel energy, or 57 calories of fossil fuel energy for every calorie of food. source: Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan
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The food industry burns nearly a fifth of all the petroleum consumed in the US (about as much as automobiles do). And, only a fifth of the total energy used to feed us is consumed on the farm; the rest is spent processing and moving food around. source: Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan
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The average 400 calorie breakfast consumes 2800 calories of fossil fuel energy. source
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The average meal uses 17 times more petroleum products then an entirely local meal.
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On average, food items travel 1500 miles before arriving at your table.
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3% of all farms produce 62% of all agricultural production (talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket!).
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70% of processed foods in US grocery stores contain bio-engineered ingredients.
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Almost 96% of the commercial vegetable varieties that existed in 1903 are now extinct.
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91 cents of each dollar spent in a traditional food market goes to suppliers, processors, middlemen, and marketers and only 9 cents goes to the farmer while farm markets enable farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of every dollar.
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3000 acres of US farmland is lost to development (suburban sprawl) every day.
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During the 1950′s the average American household spent 30% of their income on food. Today we now spend on 15% of our income on food.
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Vermont lost nearly 90 percent of its remaining farmland between the 1950′s and today.
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Even in the early 1980s, Vermont was importing 70% to 80% of its carrots and apples.
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Only 10% to 15% of our food budgets are spent on locally grown products.
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Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, upon leaving his post in 2004 said, “I, for the life of me, cannot understand why the terrorists have not, you know, attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do, and we are importing a lot of food from the Middle East, and it would be easy to tamper with that.”
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The U.S. government has awarded $130 billion in farm subsidies since 1995, with 70% to the top 10% largest producers. Over half the industry, predominately small- and medium-sized farms, receive nothing.
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If Vermont substituted local products for only 10 percent of the food we import, it would result in $376 million in new economic output, including $69 million in personal earnings from 3,616 jobs.
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The food system accounts for almost 16 percent of total U.S. energy consumption, which includes production, processing and distribution.
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It is estimated that 6 to 12 cents of every dollar spent on food consumed in the home represents transportation costs.
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Thank you for reading and hope you consider being a “Localvore For Life”!
LIVE,LAUGH,LOVE&PUGZZZZZ…K!
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I’ve mentioned before that I have 100 plant pots growing crops on my driveway. You simply can’t get more local than this, especially in a suburban neighborhood. The neighbors say it looks beautiful. I go out with a dinner plate, and pick lunch, piling the fresh veggies 9 inches high.
The other day I picked a leaf of Swiss Chard growing in a six inch deep pot. It was 11 1/4 inches wide. 13 inches high, and the red stem was 13 inches long. I could have used it for a fan, but I was hungry…
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FREEBIRD Reply:
May 28th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Raw Swiss Chard Veggie Wraps with Creamy Pecan Spread
Makes 6 wraps
This recipe uses both the leaves and the stems of Swiss chard. Soaked pecans make a creamy filling that’s packed with protein and antioxidants. For sturdier wraps, use a double layer of chard leaves.
Creamy Pecan Spread
1 cup raw pecans
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
Swiss Chard Veggie Wraps
6 large Swiss chard leaves
1 cup grated carrots
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
¼ cup lime juice
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
To make Creamy Pecan Spread:
Place pecans in large bowl, and cover with cold water. Soak at room temperature 8 hours, or overnight.
To make Swiss Chard Veggie Wraps:
1. Trim center ribs from chard leaves, set leaves aside, and dice ribs, like celery. Toss together diced chard ribs, carrots, onion, lime juice, and oil in bowl. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Drain pecans, reserving soaking water. Place pecans, 1/4 cup soaking water, cumin, and garlic in bowl of food processor; purée 2 to 3 minutes, adding more water if needed for a creamy spread. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Place 1 chard leaf on work surface. Spread with 2 heaping Tbs. Creamy Pecan Spread, leaving 1-inch border on all sides. Spoon 1/3 cup carrot mixture down center of leaf. Top with 3 or 4 tomato wedges and 3 or 4 cucumber matchsticks. Roll chard leaf from bottom up into tight cylinder, tucking in sides as you go. Secure with toothpick. Chill 15 minutes, or store up to 2 days in fridge.
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Great points! I try to look for stuff made in my state. Fortunately, they make good food up here in the Northwest.
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FREEBIRD Reply:
May 30th, 2012 at 2:17 am
Thank you sir Joko…..now off to see your latest video of “Tour d’Joko”!
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I still haven’t put out a garden this year.
I still might. The Job takes a lot out of me and I am working most weekends helping my sister with her new home. Think this old house in the ghetto.
But I did pick up Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Celery, Onions, Bell Peppers and Carrots at a Local Farmers Market.
I will try to determine how much food I purchase local.
Great thoughts and ideas.
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Roscoe Reply:
May 28th, 2012 at 9:35 pm
I still haven’t tried freezing celery. I need to try it. Celery doesn’t keep well and I like to cook with it.
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FREEBIRD Reply:
May 30th, 2012 at 2:19 am
I will be back to help you with that Roscoe..after all one of my jack of trades is a Personal Chef.
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I already tended vegetarian, but with your influence, now even more.
Some Costco’s, including mine, stock a twelve-pack of three varieties of vegetarian sausage, which I love. The Chipotle was too spicy for me at first, but now that I’m used to it, the other two flavors seem a bit bland. Had the Smoked Apple Sage this morning sliced up into my beautiful yellow puffy fluffy onion, mushroom, and extra sharp cheddar omelette this A.M. It was sublime adjacent a side of whole grain toast slathered with fig preserves. Heaven.
I use these sausages as a quick meal too -- spicy mustard and sweet relish on whole grain hot dog buns.
I can’t remember if my canned legumes have bacon in them or not. If not, I have absolutely no meat in my food stuffs at the moment.
And you remind me that I really need to put an eco-vegetarian/vegan plug on my profile page.
Warm regards, FREEBIRD.
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FREEBIRD Reply:
May 30th, 2012 at 2:21 am
That’s awesome
. I plan on doing more food blogs…..with easy, inexpensive & yummy recipes. 
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FREEBIRD Reply:
May 30th, 2012 at 2:23 am
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This spring, I planted the following:
Tomato, Okra, japolenao (spell wrong) bell pepper, and parsley.
The spear mint, Rosemary, and grapevine woke up and started to grow like weeds.
The unlikely thing happen. We had termites in the work shop and called for a terminx to kill them. The sales person promised that we would not have to move the grapevine and most of the veggies. The next day, they came to start working. I had to destroy the veggie garden and grapevine because it was too close to the house and work shop. I was pissed! The grapevine was three years old and we were supposed to have a good harvest of grapes. I was able to save the spear mint, rosemary, okra, and strawberries.
I am in the process of extending the veggie garden and prepare it for the fall. I will eventually get another grapevine too.
Due to the fact that the stores are not doing a good job in their produce area. Hence, not removing produce that has mold on it. I am going to a local fruit and veggie store. They remove their produce that has mold on it.
Swiss chard, does it help you do number 2?
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FREEBIRD Reply:
June 4th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Flax seed helps among others like chia seeds.
I will do a blog about seeds that help in this way and many other ways most people do not realize and only think meat proteins have.
It really makes me happy to hear you are growing foods and shopping in local grown food markets. Spread the words what you are doing…share your up and downs with garden and shopping….it helps others and gets them at least thinking of doing the same. Everyone health and community’s is important.
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FREEBIRD Reply:
June 4th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
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