100 Mile eating

[side_show]

I've been thinking seriously about joining this group and taking the challenge this fall.  It's a really intersting idea, but also a bit terrifying.  That said, I totally love gardening, and the idea of learning to can and preserve is so quaint and salt-of-the-earth that I think it could be pretty cool.  I'm really into the whole slow-food way of cooking to begin with.  An awesome weekend could be making and freezing home made pasta made of local grains.  I would enjoy this so very much!  The idea of living off frozen/canned food for all of winter is gross, gross, gross to me, though!  Root vegetables and squashes will keep without freezing.  The challenge is only for 100 days from Sept to Dec...  I can see implementing the practice without being a stickler after that though.  Plus the org. is based walking distance to my neighborhood, which is a big plus.

Anyone think I'm insane?  Anyone done this or interested in trying it out? 

In a crazy way, what I want is to know is that if civilization as we know it ends tomorrow, I can still sustain and even thrive.

[Asherdan]

I do mostly local produce (except when the occaisional pineapple jones hits) but it's a helluva lot easier for me in my location of the world. We have two separate local farm storefronts within 20 minutes of us. I've always found it to be a great idea, but for me it's based on cost (generally less) and quality (better, if more perishable).

Now if you want to get into canning, I can see your worries about a long dang winter. I've done some winters in cold places and eaten lots of canned (Kerr's style)  and I gotta say, it gets to me after a while. There's something about the crispy freshness that I start jonesing for after a while.

But hey, it's a good foodie thing to get into and I bet between the gardening side and the canned and preserve side it'd give you a kick to eat the stuff you've processed.

Right up until you ask "What the FUCK was I thinking when I canned so many damn tomatoes".

[slink]

I don't know. I think the limits would drive me crazy after a week or so. I try to eat as much local food as possible, and I like the idea behind it, morally. But as I say, if it's limited to just this...
If you can source a good charcutery within 100 miles of you for instance, then maybe...

[wombat]

Oh man, I could never do this. I shop at the farmer's markets as much as I can all summer, but basically, I know that I am screwed if civilization ends. I have absolutely no useful skills, and there's no point in pretending otherwise.

Also, civilization is just marginal enough in my neighborhood that freezing stuff wouldn't work for the long run.  As soon as I have a full freezer we always have one of those infuriating power outages where my block is dark but I can look out the window and see the traffic lights on the corner and the whole downtown still lit up.

[Asherdan]

So move across the block so you can point and laugh at the neighbors in 'the dark zone'.

I'm mean jebbly-eeze, they're already doing it to you, might as well join 'em.

"HA HA look honey, the poor black-out people are at it again! Turn on some extra lights!"

[linnea]

I keep asking women here to teach me how to smoke, prepare, and can salmon and make blueberry jam, but it hasn't come to fruition yet. I haven't actually pestered them at the right time of year. I'd like to learn how to do it, though.

And Ash... if you were at my house, those tomatoes would be used up DAMN FAST. A couple batches of homemade curry, and a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce would use them up right quick. I love tomatoes. Someday I'll live someplace where I can grow them myself and can them at the end of the summer.

[Arachno-capitalist]

The idea of self-sufficient life skills has always been of interest to me. So much so that I do it for lengths of time such as a week on the Appalachian Trail (next trip possibly 2 weeks this June). So to that end, I encourage your pursuit.

I looked at the website and I'm still not clear how getting locally grown food is of benefit. Is it just the idea of eating fresh produce and supporting local farmers?

[side_show]

The idea of self-sufficient life skills has always been of interest to me. So much so that I do it for lengths of time such as a week on the Appalachian Trail (next trip possibly 2 weeks this June). So to that end, I encourage your pursuit.

I looked at the website and I'm still not clear how getting locally grown food is of benefit. Is it just the idea of eating fresh produce and supporting local farmers?

Totally.  Also, knowing and meeting farmers is a community building act,  as is the group itself.  If you get to know the food producers themselves, better food choices can be made.  This is the magic of farm folk, who I've spent a lot of time with already with both the SO and I being first generation city kids - when you have a relationship with the person who grew/raised the food, you get the inside track:  the red peppers are nice and sweet this year, the cabbage has some sort of blight and isn't keeping well, this chickens only good for stewing... etc.  They also argue that food safety is less of a concern (not sure if I believe this, unless you grow it yourself, there's no way of really knowing.  Is a larger farm more or less likely to maintain safety standards?  I don't know.)  The linked sites also talk about a reduced ecological footprint, as purchasing more locally reduces transportation of goods and related pollution.

Also, Ash, I must agree with linnea - what world do you live in where there is too much tomato anything?  Isn't the idea of canning that it'll keep til it's needed?  Or am I wrong?

(edit:  also, there is a theory that it is healthiest to eat food native to where your ancestors are from.  Mine are from right where I lived, hence another benifit)

[theinevitable]

well, yeah. Kind of like how it makes more sense to buy everything at a huge discount from Sam's Club, in crate-portions. I think there is a Seinfeld episode that deals with this, re: buying 4 gallons of Heinz ketchup.

[jaydub]

also, there is a theory that it is healthiest to eat food native to where your ancestors are from.  Mine are from right where I lived, hence another benifit.

You're of Cree descent?

[Asherdan]

And Ash... if you were at my house, those tomatoes would be used up DAMN FAST. A couple batches of homemade curry, and a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce would use them up right quick. I love tomatoes.

Also, Ash, I must agree with linnea - what world do you live in where there is too much tomato anything?  Isn't the idea of canning that it'll keep til it's needed?  Or am I wrong?

My comment was made more on the basis of considering your 19th consecutive tomato base meal during a cold run. Tomatoes are notoriously profuse producers and you can basically get scads of them socked away in a canning run. Other items are far less profuse and this can lead to an overpreponderance of the nasty tomato buggers in your canned stock.

If you guyzos can contemplate massive quantities of  tomatoes over days or weeks then cool, it's a deal for you. Me, I'd start wondering if housecat was any good.

[Nabubrush]

If you guyzos can contemplate massive quantities of  tomatoes over days or weeks then cool, it's a deal for you. Me, I'd start wondering if housecat was any good.

Oh, never turn down housecat. Delicious!

[side_show]

You're of Cree descent?

Metis if you want to split hairs, but yeah I am of predominantly Cree/French blood. 

[pmcd9]

Someday I'll live someplace where I can grow them myself and can them at the end of the summer.

Or if you lived here, at the start of the summer.

[pmcd9]

If you guyzos can contemplate massive quantities of  tomatoes over days or weeks then cool, it's a deal for you.

I eat tomatoes virtually every meal.