I am participating in Green Bean’s "Be a bookworm" challenge this month. The first book I finished was "Plenty" by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon, creators of the 100 mile diet. Yes, I am reading more than one book for this challenge. After all, I am a bookworm.

I had heard about their project awhile back…probably during the course of their actual challenge (where they comitted to eat all their meals within a 100 mile radius of their home). But at the time, I was not ready to eat local. Like every new idea I first needed to let it percolate in my head for a while before I warmed up to the idea. At the time (in 2005-2006) I think I only purchased fruits from farmers’ markets and was busy trying to eat the cheapest food possible without any consideration for quality or nutrition or even taste. Obviously I am at the other end now…where I make alot of efforts toward purchasing as many items local as possible. Today I follow the locavore pledge:

If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.

The book was interesting. I expected the book to be mainly about their trials and tribulations regarding finding local food sources (of which there were plenty), but…I was not expecting read about their co-habitation disputes or problems. I realize that all relationships have problems and issues that need to be dealt with, but its not a subject I am very interested in reading about. Every chapter in Plenty made me worry: are they going to split up? If they do, who gets the potatoes and canned jams?

I think Smith and Mackinnon have done alot in terms of getting people to eat local. I don’t remember restaurants in 2005 proudly claiming to offer locally grown ingredients on their menus. Even the local Acme has signs on how much of their produce is locally grown. Unfortunately they are conventional…not organic (with the number on the sticker beginning with a "9"). But its a start. Personally, I’ve extended my definition of local to 250 miles although most of my meals are often within a 100 mile radius. Afterall, I live in the breadbasket that is New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The idea of eating locally also touches on my little hot button: oil consumption and how to reduce it. Food is a necessity and if the sky is going to fall tomorrow I might have to get used to eating whatever is grown near me. And the 100 mile diet has really gotten me to embrace the idea of eating locally. 

Going back to the book…I liked the fact that each chapter was written by either Smith or Mackinnon, I thought each of them had a unique point of view. I liked Mackinnon’s style of writing. It was more matter of fact and less on the neurotic meandering. Although if I had to recommend a book on eating local, I’d recommend Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It has a more positive tone and many, many laugh out loud passages.