Locavores

One of the newest words in the Merriam Webster Dictionary is “locavore”. The word is defined as a person who only eats locally sourced food.

As lovely as this concept may be, I will never achieve locavore status. Those of you who know me realize that I can’t grow grass, let alone something as agriculturally challenging as a tomato.

If I ever did succeed in getting a foodstuff to sprout, I’m sure our animal friends in the Tooley Cafe, locavores all, would view the garden as a delightful annex to the Cafe.

Since gardening is ruled out, I would have to resort to gathering. This course is also problematic.

For example, we have a local cheese factory and creamery fifteen miles northwest of our house. It features 100 Wisconsin cheeses, butter made on the premises and 50 cent ice cream cones (in case you need a cholesterol fix before you get the cheese and butter home). Unfortunately, the store that supplies our house with toilet paper, laundry soap and cat food is fifteen miles in the opposite direction.

It gets worse. Our local farmers’ markets are 15 miles away at other compass points, and their hours of operation coincide perfectly with my work hours.

At this point you might be viewing me as the perfect subscriber to a weekly produce delivery (aka “a surprise box”) from a local farm.

Alas, I’m not that noble! The thought of coming home from work to an overflowing crate of turnips and kohlrabies or 75 zucchinis is completely unbearable. I foresee no “Animal, Vegetable, Miracles” for me.

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1 thought on “Locavores”

  1. I’ve thought about some of the same issues regarding eating locally. There is a “movement” started by somebody in BC, about eating things grown/produced within 100 miles. I don’t have the link handy. You have to give up olive oil!I’m much farther north and west from you and it is even worse here. No truck gardens; climate too cold, season too short. But your area has potential, at least. If more people worked for local eating, it would get more convenient. I’m much annoyed that much of the produce in our store comes from overseas. Even California. I won’t buy from overseas because I don’t trust that they don’t use bad chemicals. They aren’t tested at the border. But I’ve heard a report that just because the produce/fruit is shipped, doesn’t mean it is less green. Some stuff grown in the north is hot house produced, which might use more fuel, more fertilizer.

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