The Meat Of It

The meat of it--

I am currently working as an intern for the Local Economies Project (also known as the Hudson Valley Farm Project) exploring myriad potential initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture and local living economies in the Hudson Valley. I also work at a local health food store, and am making great strides along with the other staff to bring a variety of local products to the store. My heart lies in work like this, organizing for and advocating for local food economies and the social, environmental, and economic benefits they provide. I'd like to think of the Love Eating Here Project as the side dish to the main course goals I am working toward (corny food references? local corn-y food references? ahhhh)

In the Love Eating Here project, my goal is to establish a 99% locally grown (also locally processed and distributed, when applicable), complete, year-round diet that satisfies basic nutrition (and is yummy...and doesn't make me go insane!). To be specific, this includes more than just the low-hanging fruit (pun intended), like fruits and veggies. It extends to local protein sources, carbohydrates, cooking oil, spices, snack food, desserts, and drinks.
**I also want to make it clear that I understand that for much of the population this diet is impossible to replicate, for many reasons which we can explore as we go along, and this diet is by no means a solution or strategy for addressing food access issues. Rather, I see it as one part of the self and cultural education important in a local food movement whose mission necessarily includes addressing food access issues.

I am excited about working on my local food diet, specifically as a means to
(and this is roughly in order of importance for me)...
1) Understand systems: Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Mid-Hudson Region food system
2) Support and engage with local farms: through my purchases and the networking involved in it-- encouraging increased production and sustainable growing practices, understanding farmers' needs, etc
3) Address my environmental impact: Reduce my carbon footprint (reducing "food miles")

There are many other motivations-- maybe benefits to my personal health? (the verdict is still out...) Maybe people who know me will be inspired to spend all day figuring out where they will buy their food, and all night preparing it in the kitchen? : ) I won't bet on those things happening, but I am certainly motivated by the three formally listed items above, and that's enough for me.


Ok, well I think I tackled some of the meat of it.
Check out today's menu if you'd like!

Goat Meat Sauce Ground goat meat, Acorn Hill Farms, Gardiner, NY
Tomato puree (frozen by me), Green peppers, (frozen by me) Taliaferro Farms, New Paltz, NY
Beets, Four Winds Farm, Gardiner, NY
Kale, frozen by Winter Sun Farms, New Paltz, NY
Red Onion, a farm I can't remember, NY
Black Pepper
Salt

Corn Flatbread
Fine Ground Cornmeal, Wild Hive Farm Bakery, Dutchess County, NY
All Purpose Flour,  Wild Hive Farm Bakery, Dutchess County, NY
Salted Butter, Ronnybrook Farms, Ancramdale, NY
Egg, Feather Ridge Farm, Elizaville, NY
Maple Syrup, Somewhere in NY
Water, My backyard!