Tuesday, December 7, 2010

A Little Local Food Never Hurt Anybody

I would be remiss if I didn’t hop back in time a bit and talk about an event that happened within my walls some weeks back. The event was joyfully attended by a small group of enthusiastic connoisseurs of local victuals who gathered to share an evening repast of some significance. The menu was unpretentious, consisting as it did of ingredients indigenous to an area not more than 100 miles away from the table on which it was served. The event to which I refer bore the modern and relevant appellation: The 100-Mile Diet Potluck Dinner and was organized to raise awareness of the variety of foodstuffs available to the budding locavore.

Eating locally is a challenge no matter where one might reside, but in the Bulkley Valley, it seems, it is vital that, to be successful, the locavore must enjoy meat and vegetables, particularly since the availability of anything else is somewhat limited. Coffee, many fruits, dairy products, grains and the all-important chocolate are either completely unattainable or require some sleuthful acumen to unearth and acquire. Seasonings are tricky, too. Where does one get salt, for instance?

While the group dined on meatballs, cabbage salad, kale, potatoes, apple sauce, pumpkin and raspberry/rhubarb pie, it struck me that some of these revelers in locavorism would be hard-pressed to sustain such a regimen if, for some unfathomable reason, they had no choice. Being used to a wide range of fruits, breads, pastas, cheeses, coffees, teas, and the ever-versatile sugar, going local would create its own unique form of withdrawal. Then again, I devour high-voltage electricity, sulphur-injected natural gas and, of course good books, none of which (except for a few of the books) are locally produced. I’m not at all certain that I could survive on a 100-mile diet…

Is the growing phenomenon of self-sustainability a portentous one? Will the future bring a halt to imported delicacies? Will grocery stores become a thing of the past? I have no idea, but it does seem that the paradigm in food production and distribution is shifting. (And here I’ll slide in the literacy angle…) Tomes such as The Zero Mile Diet, Locavore and Just Food are among the first (no doubt there will be more) publications to discuss local eating and educate people on how to do it. From growing your own, to bartering for food, “experts” are emerging and publishers are rallying to the cause to ensure that you, the reader, are duly educated.

I will leave you now with some photographic evidence that eating local fare is entirely possible.
And a lot of fun, too!

2 comments:

  1. What a good idea for a fund-raiser. Looks like everybody had a good time!

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  2. There was no fundraising, just a very good time. Hopefully this will turn into an annual event!

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