Having said this I DO appreciate selecting a point in time for longer range personal planning. I suppose January 1 is as good a time as any. My friend Robyn O’Brien, author of The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It, offers lots of insight in her very educational book about our food system and its role in food allergies (mainly focused on allergies in kids but applies to all). One of her best pieces of advice I believe applies to any personal change, which is to ‘just change one thing’. Don’t make it overwhelming for yourself; start small.
With an eye toward realistic and beneficial food resolutions for the upcoming year, I would challenge you this New Year to consider this with regard to eating more local food for 2011! There are many simple ways to start.
Some of my favorite seed resources: Seed Savers Exchange, Park Seeds, Botanical Interests (Colorado based) and Monticello (this was a fun find to grow species cultivated by Thomas Jefferson himself in the 1800’s). I also found this extensive list of various seed companies (click here).
If you area Colorado resident, investigate Local Sustainablity by selecting this link or the button on the side of my blog. It’s a great grass roots organization providing information and education to those interested in local, sustainable food sources, practices and policy decisions. Their information is not just for Coloradoans either. Check them out; they have some great resources!
Chef Dennis says
I can't wait for our farmers market to open back up! I don't belong to a CSA, but the bounty of local products every saturday keeps me happy!
Great list of resolutions!
Dennis
briarrose says
I've been happily browsing my seed catalog planning for the spring. 😉 Excellent list of resolutions.
Nancy and Vijay says
Very good advice and love, love, love your little Lola 🙂
Bethany ~ Sustainable Food For Thought says
Oh, yes! Wholeheartedly agreed. New years resolutions make me itch, but I am thrilled to feel the grace to begin differently at any point along the way…
No need to put off a new start until a day in the future if it's possible to take a step in the right direction now. I've thoroughly enjoyed embracing next-steps in the food world with each passing season and with each new revelation of learning/inspiration/resource.
Cheers to the next series of new leaves turned and deeper roots established as we grow together~
5 Star Foodie says
eating more local food is a great goal for next year and your suggestions are excellent! Happy new year!
Boulder Locavore says
Thank you everyone for your enthusiastic comments and Happy New Year! Two additional things sprang to mind to share. Since buying from a farm CSA or the Farmer's Market it has made me realize how long the produce stays fresh vs the conventional grocery store with a long supply chain. Some items that typically go bad in a few days stay great for a few weeks when buying them freshly picked locally.
Also I think you become very much more committed to the food and minimizing waste when buying from a CSA or Farmer's Market. When you've met the person growing the food, it feels closer to a gift someone has given you (and you know how they toiled to create the 'gift') than 'anonymous food' which is easier to cast away should you let it go bad before eating it. It's also transformative to children's interest in eating vegetables when they 'know the farmer'! Watching the dots connect on where their food comes from is a beautiful thing.