Mid-Month Reflection

I just got home from Costco.  As I was walking through the isles, I felt guilty because as my friend, B., reminded me "You don't know where this stuff comes from.  It comes from all over!"  Well, as if I wasn't feeling guilty enough already.  But then I thought to myself, "Why am I feeling guilty?"  I realized that I didn't need to feel that way at all.  I never claimed to be a total locavore or to be trying to attain that status.  That's someone else's agenda, not mine.  My agenda is that of the lazy locavore:  To be local as much as possible through small steps and slight alterations of lifestyle.  So then I had to think to myself:  "Why am I interested in being a lazy locavore?" Here is what I came up with:

1.  Nutrition.  I have always been interested in nutrition and I've always been a veggie-aholic.  I want to pass down good nutrition to my future children and grandchildren.  I want them to grow up with the freedom from weight and health problems that I have had due to good nutrition.  Prescription drugs prices have raised 8.3% in one year.  I'd rather eat wholesome foods in their most natural state and get the vitamins and nutrients I need than pay for prescriptions.  
2.  I care about agricultural America.  I grew up in rural Kansas and lived on a farm for seven years, how could I not?
3.  Enjoyment.  I love food.  The savory, the rich, the spicy - give me it all!  My husband teases me about how much I think about food.  It is a great enjoyment in my life.  I want to pass this enjoyment onto my family and friends and you can't do that with boxed food.  Either it's bland or it packs on the pounds.  I can't stand diets.  I'm so annoyed by all the trendy diet crap.  "Buy this low calorie snack, buy that."  How about you eat real snacks instead?  My favorites are nuts with a tiny bit of chocolate mixed in, fresh raw green beans, or yum-yum orange peppers.  The best diet of all?  Everything in moderation - works every time. 

Okay, so those are my reasons and I have to say that I really like them.   If you're considering becoming a locavore I suggest you find your reasons.  If we each switch just 25% of our diet to a local diet, we'll be making a huge impact and we've got a whole winter to practice making that slow transition!  Here are my suggestions for ways to get started:

1.   Identify the items that you can and would like to buy locally.
2.  Use up all the food in your house that you have that pertains to those items but is not local.
3.  Slowly start purchasing local items, just one or two at a time, instead of the old items.

Thanks for taking this journey with me!