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.