What is a Localvore?

Reader Contribution by Stephanie Nelson
article image

<p>
<table style=”HEIGHT: 118px” cellpadding=”0″ width=”122″ align=”left” border=”0″>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Last week I was reading my favorite <em>Herb Companion</em> blogs <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=736″>Samurai Sage</a> and <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=740″>The Herbalista</a>. Editor-in-chief K.C. Compton’s post,<a title=” At My Place: Spring Vegetable Gardening” href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/wiser-living/at-my-place-spring-vegetable-gardening.aspx”> At My Place: Spring Vegetable Gardening</a>, and associate editor Allison Martin’s post, <a title=”Kitchen Vegetable Gardening for Beginner” href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/vegetable-gardening-for-beginners.aspx”>Kitchen Vegetable Gardening for Beginners</a>, made me think of the various herbs, flowers and vegetables I wanted to grow in my own backyard. Shortly after, I took off to my local nursery.<br />
<br />
I asked the owner of my local nursery for some advice and which plants they recommend for my area. The owner suggested a few books I should read, one of which was <a title=”Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” style=”FONT-STYLE: italic” href=”http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/” target=”_blank”>Animal, Vegetable, Miracle</a> (Harper Collins Publishers, 2007) authored by Barbara Kingsolver and her family. I had already read this book last summer because I was so excited to pick seeds, watch things grow and become affectionate toward my garden.</p>
<p>
<table style=”HEIGHT: 473px” cellpadding=”0″ width=”322″ align=”left” border=”0″>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, <em>Animal, Vegetable, Miracle</em> documents Barbara and her family’s year of eating local food from their own backyard, farmers’ markets and neighboring farms.</p>
<p>Barbara, her husband, Steven L. Hopp, and their two daughters, Camille and Lily, wrote <a title=”the book” href=”http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/about%20the%20book.html” target=”_blank”>the book</a> as a family. Barbara wrote the main narrative while her husband contributed sidebars focused on the <a title=”food industry” href=”http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Steven%20Excerpt.html” target=”_blank”>food industry</a> and food production. Camille wrote about meal plans, <a title=”seasonal recipes ” href=”http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Recipes.html” target=”_blank”>seasonal recipes</a> and important nutritional information. The youngest in the family, Lily, raised their chickens, turkeys and helped with the farm work.</p>
<p>This book is at the top of my “Favorite Books List” for a few reasons. First, I enjoy the concept of living off of the land and becoming a localvore. Since reading the book last summer, I’ve tried to eat local, in-season foods and grow my own handful of herbs. Second, I enjoyed the family’s collaborative effort to follow through with their goal to eat locally produced food. The family proved that with enough planning and preparation, <a title=”eating local” href=”http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/LocatingLocal.html” target=”_blank”>eating local</a> doesn’t have to be limiting or expensive.</p>
<p>Here are a few tips from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle on becoming a <a title=”localvore” href=”http://www.localvore.net/” target=”_blank”>localvore</a>:</p>
<p>•  <a title=”Eat in season” href=”http://www.localharvest.org/” target=”_blank”>Eat in season</a>. Find out what season your favorite produce grow in and plan accordingly–this will vary for each Zone.<br />
•  Start a <a title=”community garden” href=”http://www.communitygarden.org/” target=”_blank”>community garden</a> or, if your community already has one, join in.<br />
•  Attend <a title=”farmer’s markets” href=”http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateC&navID=FarmersMarkets&rightNav1=FarmersMarkets&topNav=&leftNav=WholesaleandFarmersMarkets&page=WFMFarmersMarketsHome&description=Farmers Markets&acct=frmrdirmkt” target=”_blank”>farmer’s markets</a>–who knew you could support local farmers while enjoying delicious, fresh foods!</p>
<p>Have you read <em>Animal, Vegetable, Miracle</em>? Are you a localvore? If you have any tips or suggestions for eating local or growing your own food, let’s chat about it. Leave me a comment or send me an email at <a href=”mailto:snelson@ogdenpubs.com”>snelson@ogdenpubs.com</a>.</p>

  • Published on May 12, 2009
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-800-456-6018
Free health and natural beauty tips from Mother Earth News!