Rules of the road

Ok, so I'm going to California tomorrow.  Does it count as eating local if I bring back a bunch of stuff that's grown in California?  Or is that absolutely cheating?  Seems like all the produce here comes from there, and since I'm going there anyway...  Thoughts?

Slow Start

Dominique made dinner last night.  It was really good, but I'm not sure that we grow avocados here in N. Georgia.  And isn't it a little early for asparagus?  I suppose the salmon could have come from the Atlantic not too far away - or could it?

This is going to take awhile...

In the meantime, I am almost completely out of breakfast food and still no idea where to find locally grown grains for granola, bread.  I didn't think this project would be a weight-loss program but it may turn out that way.

Looming Crisis

Never mind the confit de canard; what am I going to have for breakfast?!?!  I'm running out of Grape Nuts, granola, toast, and bagels - and I don't think any of them is replaceable in their current incarnation.  I need local, organic substitutes and fast!  Ack!

Cathy, you're kind of hanging back.  Help me!

Slow Start

Ok, I haven't done anything yet except research.  But that's because I haven't had to do any shopping - I'm still working through the leftovers from the holidays.  (Amazing none of them has made me sick yet.  Cast iron stomach...)  BUT I'm preparing to pounce just as soon as I run out of everything.  Plus I need my personal French chef to return so he can prepare the confit de canard.  Did you think I was going to do that?  LOL

My first challenge

I've set myself a challenge:  to make an AVM (animal vegetable miracle) confit de canard, based on a recipe I saw in today's NY Times.  I love confit de canard so much that I had it twice in a row on my recent trip to France.  First step:  find a local, well-raised duck.

Where's the beef?

I have been vegetarian in the past and could easily be so again, but I think my French husband would have a cow, so to speak, if I pushed him too hard in that direction.  So, following Kingsolver's lead, I searched for local sources of meat from ranches and farms that raise and slaughter animals humanely and sustainably.

I just found a great site called eatwild.com.  It looks as though they might have different versions by site, Cathy, so check it out.  I specified "Georgia" and got a list (plus information, map and directions) for 16 ranches and farms, plus a few in southern Tennessee and northern Florida.  Plus they tell you which stores and restaurants offer these products.  Plus a whole lot of other information.

I'm going to plot a course to visit at least the nearby ones to make sure they're all that they say they are.  And hopefully meet some nice, interesting, and informative people along the way.

Better living through chickens

This is a great article on how chickens help with sustainable living from My Pet Chicken.   I have been told that I won't be able to get chicks for at least another couple of weeks, so this is a good time to study up.

Yes We Have No Bananas

Ok, this might not be a big deal for most people, but I am slightly addicted to bananas and eat a half or a whole one every day.  SO NO MORE BANANAS.  Have I mentioned how much I love tropical fruit in general?  I guess I need to move to Hawaii so I can eat local.

Bananas

Just as I was getting down to my last half-banana, Dom bought me another 3.  Bless his heart; he knows I eat at least a half every day.  Obviously, however, they don't grow in Georgia and are probably the first thing I will need to give up for this experiment.  They're bought now, though, so it won't be for another 5 or 6 days.

Who's Chicken?

Did major research on chickens today.  Went to mypetchicken.com and picked  a couple of breeds that looked interesting - one of them named "Dominique"!  Criteria were good but not too prolific egg-layers, interesting-looking, and nice dispositions.  I don't want to be chased around by an ornery hen or 3.

Also had some interesting back and forth with the Chicken Coop guy.  I'm wondering how we can keep rats and other rodents out when there's no floor?  He says people put light chicken wire down so that it's still portable but there's some protection.

Chicks seem not to be available until February.

Links

I should post the links I'm talking about if this is going to be useful to anyone.  Here they are:

Georgia farmers market guide:  http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm

Canning equipment:  http://www.canningpantry.com/

The chicken coop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChickenCoops

I started my research today, including where I could pick up a copy of the book since I gave Cathy back hers without finishing it.  I found some good online resources including a site that provided information on all the farmer's markets around Atlanta, another that provides canning equipment, and a portable chicken coop on etsy for $449.  I think I have Dominique on board with the chickens and I've asked the chicken coop guy if he knows any reliable sources of chicks.  I think they're not available until later in this season and they sure as hell wouldn't last long in this freeze we're having now.

The Launch - Who, What, Where, Why

We are two sisters, only 15 months apart in age (never mind what age), living in two corners of the country about as far away from each other as possible to get in the continental U.S. Cathy lives in Seattle (Everett, actually), while Janet is in Atlanta.

Thanks to Cathy, we have become inspired by Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, wherein she recounts her family's experiences with eating locally in Virginia. We've decided to see how these principles can be applied where we live, and we thought it would be especially interesting to compare and contrast how they would play out in two very different locations in terms of climate, growing season, resources, culture, terrain (or terroir) - well, just about everything is as different as it can be.

Hence our blog. Starting now, we're going to begin interpreting Barbara's ideas Seattle-style/ Southern-style, and documenting our experiences here. We would welcome comments, ideas, suggestions, and are hopeful that others have at least partially paved the way for us. Hopefully we'll help pave the way for others who want to try a "locavore" lifestyle on a full- or part-time basis.

Let's get started!