Is a zero-mile meal possible?

I've discovered in my research that the average American meal travels 1,500 miles to reach your plate. So, part of my plan for this blog is to track my meals' mileage during the challenge. It will be much easier to do during the challenge than, say, now, because I will know where all of the food came from. For example, today, as you can see, I bought a lot of corn to freeze. I know the farm in Chittenango where it was grown, and can easily tell you that it traveled about 10.8 miles from the farm to my table. I've marked the bag with the location of the produce, so it should be a fun total at the end of the month.

But, my question is: Is a zero-mile meal possible? I don't live on a farm (I don't even have a garden), so I won't be bringing anything in from my yard to the table, but I think I can still accomplish at least 1 zero-mile. Here's the idea: I went to the market today to pick up produce, so the gas emissions I produced would not have been produced had I not went for the vegetables. So they count as miles toward my meal. However, what about the basil my boss brought in for me to work the other day or the honey from a co-worker? Had they not brought that food in, they still would have come to work, and I still would have went home. So, I'm not going to count those miles, because the miles would have been driven either way. Technically, the food still traveled a few miles but I am going to track "food miles" or, how many miles did I save in emissions, etc. by buying locally.

So if neighbors, coworkers, etc, bring me food that they grew/produced during another type of visit (they didn't travel specifically to give me the food), it doesn't count. What do you think?

PS- how could I not take advantage of the peak corn season? 3 dozen ears cut and frozen and another 1/2 dozen for dinner tomorrow!

PPS- Since I have readers that don't know me, expect a little background blog about how this all came about coming soon!

Foods I'll miss

So the more I've been thinking about this the harder it is seeming. I immediately thought about foods I'd be missing out on during September: chocolate, coffee, citrus, and I think I can deal. But, this week, as I started thinking about composing actual meals, I began to think of individual ingredients I use on a daily basis. Here's three that have me stumped, any suggestions are welcome!:

1. Olive oil. I've already mentioned that I have a CSA share through Sommer's Harvest Farm in Hamilton, NY. One of our favorite weekly staples is greens such as spinach, chard, and collards. We do a simple preparation of the greens by sauteing garlic and onions in oil, then adding the greens, a little more oil, and some salt and pepper. When I'm feeling fancy I put a poached egg on top. Seems like this could be a good option for me, but what about the oil? I have bought locally-made organic sunflower oil from Stolor Organics in Cazenovia in the past for baking (it adds a new dimension to cupcakes!), but I'm not sure it will work the same on the greens.

2. Cane sugar. First of all, I do a lot of baking. Also, in the fall, nothing is better than butternut squash with a little brown sugar. Cane sugar is a staple ingredient in a lot of fall dishes. So, what can I use? Well, I do have honey from my good friend Nikki who keeps bees in Rome. I also have some maple sugar from Baker's Maple in Bainville. I'll have to be creative with where and how I substitute. I think the squash will be good with the maple sugar!

3. Energy bars/gel. I'll be competing in a triathlon on Aug. 6 and during the race I usually consume some chemical-laden energy bars and gels. I also have become fond of Stinger Waffles, a honey-based cracker for quick energy. I know I can make my own granola bars, but I need to find comparable foods for quick energy that are easy to carry, open, and eat.

So those are my stumbling blocks so far and I'm sure I will run into more! By the way, all of the foods I mentioned earlier, I have picked up from CNY Bounty in the past. Hopefully, they will be back up soon because I have a feeling they will be a great resource for me!

But Abbey...Why??

Every time I take a bite of a crisp, juicy apple or stick my toes in the mud, I think of Grandpa. I think he's why I started the CSA program to begin with. Anytime someone says "farmer," images are conjured up of watching my grandpa milk the cows or toss hay bales down from the loft. Fresh, local produce reminds me of the days I spent sitting out in the garden eating snap peas and raspberries until I ruined my dinner. Grandpa survived off the land for years. Can I do it, too? Back then, there was no such thing as "organic", there didn't need to be. Food was made from the land, and you didn't get to eat tomatoes in December. I taste those days when I open my harvest share basket. So this journey is dedicated fully to Calvin Janes and he's the reason I'm taking it. Maybe I'll taste my grandmother's cooking when I fry up a farm fresh egg or drink unpasteurized milk. Maybe my kids can look back at me like I do my grandfather.... "Ahh, Bea...those were the days. Remember when mom went crazy and made us eat like hippies?"

Every journey starts

...with a single step!

Blanched and froze green beans from Sommers' Harvest Farm in Hamilton, NY! Yay... completed my first step. Now sometime in September I have one side dish covered lol.

What I do know...

Ok, so I just registered for the Locavore Challenge (http://www.nofany.org/events/ny-locavore-challenge) For the month of September, I will become a locavore. So what is this all about? Well...I'm not sure yet. I've read about Locavores a little, but more research is coming. So here's what I know.

1) Locavore rules vary but mainly the point is eating locally produced food. Your average meal travels thousands of miles to reach your plate, so eating local food has a lot of benefits; you save gas, emissions, and are helping out the local economy. Plus, local and fresh produce is better for your body (less chemicals) and tastes better too! Basically, this challenge is to eat only food produced or grown within 250 miles of your home.

2) There are some exceptions. Obviously if you 100% committed to this, here in Upstate NY that means no coffee, no citrus, no chocolate. So I believe the rule for this challenge is 5 ingredients can be outside the 250 miles if they are not available, but they must be fair trade and/or organic.

3) The challenge includes "mini-challenges" such as this blog, reading locavore literature and even hosting a "Locavore Potluck" on Sept. 25.

4) September in Upstate NY basically equals squash, so I have to research what is going to be available, and what I have to stock up on. I need to acquire meats, cheeses, dairy, and non-seasonal vegetables to freeze and/or can.

Ok so, that's what I know now, here's the plan:
1) I have already read Michael Pollan's full line of novels, so that's a good start to learn about food production (I highly recommend "The Omnivore's Dilemma" for beginners.

2) I ordered the follow books to get me started:

The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food by Amy Cotler

Eat Where You Live: How to Find and Enjoy Fantastic Local and Sustainable Food No Matter Where You Live by Lou Bendrick

3) Stocking up: I already know I have a lot to do, so I'm hoping to get started on finding enough food (and a variety) so I don't starve or go crazy.

Any tips/recipes/ideas, please please let me know!!