How much local food do you eat?
Can you make 1/4 of every meal local fare? Maybe you already do...
Then challenge yourself to fill 1/2 of your plate from local sources!
Eating locally in the Kootenays is a terrific adventure. Kootenay Food producers grow and produce a wonderful variety of foods; from fruits and vegetables, to grains, dairy and meat.
Eat local Challenge
In August 2007, over 150 Kootenay residents signed up to challenge themselves to increase their consumption of local food for the month. Some folks drastically changed the way they ate for the month, while others took on much smaller challenges like committing to eating all their produce from local sources for the month.
Eat Local 2008 –Take the Challenge!
Can you eat mostly locally grown and produced food for one month? We gave it a try and we invite you and your family to join us! If you get a headache simply thinking about giving up chocolate and coffee, then you probably need a smaller challenge. Can you increase the amount of local food that you eat for one month? Can you try and make 1/4 of every meal local fare, or can you eat one meal each day from local food sources?
Come on down to the Nelson Farmers Market and visit the Community Food Matters booth. Take the pledge to eat more local food for the month of August. The challenge is being launched in Nelson, but anyone, in any community, can challenge themselves to increase their consumption of local food. In 2007, residents from Kaslo, the Slocan Valley, and Montrose took the challenge.Questions about the challenge? Email: communityfoodmatters@riseup.net
Why Eat Local Food?
Whether you try to eat strictly from out Kootenay soils, or you enjoy products that are made by local cooks and artisans, eating food from close to home has many benefits.
10 reasons to buy Local -
PDF
A sustainable Food System -
JPG
What is Local?
Most people find a 100-mile radius a useful, easy-to-work-with boundary. Others use it as a starting point to decide their own idea of 'local'. Alisa Smith and James McKinnon lived the 100 mile diet for a year. Their website offers a lot of information about eating locally as well as an interactive tool that will show you a 100 mile radius from your home -
100 Mile Diet
What's growing in the Kootenays?
Kootenay Organic Growers Society (KOGS) is a great source of local information. Check out their seasonal produce guide
(PDF) to see what local food is available right now
For more information on organic farming in BC check out
www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca
Where can I get Local Food?
Most farms in the Kootenays sell their products to local retailers or sell at the farmers markets. Some restaurants also feature local foods. Ask for local food wherever you shop and eat
A good place to start is your farmers market:
Join a CSA
Learn more about
Community Supported Agriculture
Support your
Local Businesses
Hungry for more information?
Great reads about local eats.
