[FLPERMACULTURE] Eat-Local Backlash

[Joel and Sarah Gagnon]

Interesting stuff, Simon, both your move toward eating more locally and the 
commentary thereon. We grow most of what we eat, with the exception of a 
few staples that either require more land or more work (or both). Grains we 
buy in bulk, but as you note, they may not be very local. Greenstar sources 
its organic rolled oats, for example, from Saskatchewan. Our flour (King 
Arthur) is milled in Vermont, but who knows where in America the grain came 
from? You won't find domestic olive oil. We use little enough of it that we 
don't mind buying it in large containers infrequently. One could substitute 
canola since the health benefits are at least similar. While we use about 
30 pounds of local honey a year, we also use 10-15 pounds of sugar because 
there are places where a more neutral sweetener are wanted (jam).

It seems to me, that as energy prices rise, the market cues will change to 
favor local products. It was the march in the other direction, driven by 
cheap fuel, that destroyed local production and distribution. It will take 
time and effort to reestablish local and regional distribution, but if 
there is one thing that can be said about most Americans, it is that we 
respond to economic cues.

Joel

At 08:12 AM 8/23/07 -0400, you wrote:
>And for a local Eat-Local Backlash, see:
>
>http://livingindryden.org/2007/08/local_eating_generates_a_bit_o.html
>
>I addressed the NY Times and a Boston critique of local eating earlier,
>at the end of:
>
>http://livingindryden.org/2007/08/starting_eating_local.html
>
>Food-miles are a great way to explain to people what's wrong with our
>food system, but they're a diagnostic tool, not a solution calculator.
>Applying a little thought - not hard to do - can push most of these
>complaints aside.
>
>Thanks,
>Simon St.Laurent
>http://livingindryden.org/eating_locally/
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