The Jungle-Fusion Localvore Challenge

Win a Jungle-Fusion Culinary Experience

Most people who read our cookbook don't live near a jungle. Like you, the foods grown closest to their homes depend on the specific climate and landscape of their local environment. These variables support unique foods and define the character of their local foodshed.

Although our recipes were born in the rainforests of Costa Rica, at its essence Jungle-Fusion is about adapting to the food resources of any local environment. Why is this important? Because, local foods require less fossil fuels to get to the market, reducing the carbon footprint of our food purchases. Plus, consumers of local foods (localvores) support nearby family farms through their purchases. In return, these family farms offer local foods with fresh seasonal flavors.

Following the lead of Localvore organizations around the country, we are hosting 2 seasonal Localvore challenges in 2007. Winners will be announced on the Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox.

Click HERE to find out more.

Localvore activities include:

• hosting potlucks
• visiting your local farmer's market
• drinking local wine and beet
• stopping at local farms and dairies
• the 100-mile challenge
• picnics

For every friend who accepts your invitation to join our Localvore Challenge, we will plant one tree in the rainforests of Costa Rica. This is an easy way to support our reforestation efforts.

Useful links for Localvores:

http://www.100milediet.org/ This web site allows you to calculate a 100 radius of your home for eating locally.
http://Worldwatch.org/features/food Features what individuals can do,"Tale of Two Tomatoes", links, info on the book "Eat Here:Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket" by Brian Halweil
http://www.sustainabletable.org/ Features issues (ex. animal welfare, antibiotics, genetic engineering, fossil fuels, health,), sustainable food in schools, recipes, cookbook reviews, feature articles.
http://www.locavores.com Culinary adventurers supporting food grown within 100-mile radius of San Francisco with rationale, recipes, food and cooking links.
http://www.localharvest.org Locate farms, CSAs,food co-ops and restaurants that feature local foods across the U.S.
http://vitalcommunities.org/Agriculture/agriculture.htm Locally Grown Guide (for much of VT and NH);Tidbits newsletter; Dartmouth Local Food initiative; Localvores: rationale, recipes, food sources, etc.
http://www.farmtotable.org/index.php?cmd=F2TNews&method=view&id=121
http://www.vtcommons.org/node/189 Article by Bill McKibben "Can Vermont Feed Itself?". (After reading this excellent article, click on "Journal" in the menu and scroll down to Issue 6 October 2005; the entire issue is dedicated to local foods in VT.)
http://www.coopfoodstore.com/html/about_producers.html Photos and descriptions of many VT/NH farmers supplying the Hanover/Lebanon-Co-op. See "Issues" in menu: excellent articles on food issues.
http://www.coopfoodstore.com/news/Archives/arch_9_04/editor.html "Shopping for the Common Wealth"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4312591.stm Features article "Local Food "Greener than Organic"
http://www.museletter.com/archive/159.html "What Will We Eat as the Oil Runs Out" by Richard Heinberg, FEASTA Conference, Dublin, Ireland, June 2005.
http://www.omorganics.org/page.php?pageid=197 "Think Locally and Act Neighborly"; a comprehensive rationale for eating locally-grown foods

Eat Like a Localvore

The produce that we eat travels, on average, 1500 miles before reaching our local market. Locally grown produce, however, averages 45 miles. The seemingly simple choice of what to eat has an enormous impact on how our limited fuel and land resources are used. By purchasing locally-grown foods, we can reduce the impact of each meal while supporting a sustainable food economy that benefits family farms and rewards sustainable agriculture.

Locally grown foods arrive at the market fresh and ripe. As much as it may be reassuring to know that our purchases are more nutritious and contribute to a sustainable economy, we can also do it simply for the flavor.

One way to bring the pleasures and politics of eating locally-grown foods into your house is to design and document your own "Eat Local Challenge". Create your own ground-rules and send your videos, photos and recipes to: contest@jungle-fusion.com.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Create one meal using exclusively ingredients produced within 100 miles of your home.
• With small exceptions (coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar) live for one day eating only food and drinking only wine or beer produced within 200 miles from your home.
• Create a simple entree or dessert using solely ingredients produced within 200 miles of your kitchen.
  

For the next year, we are going to give away a customized Jungle-Fusion Experience to one member of our Jungle-Fusion community at the end of each season.

Find Out More.

We will be posting new ideas to help you celebrate your local "foodshed" on this Jungle-Fusion Recipe Blog throughout the spring. Check back regularly.