I've been mulling for the past week whether to participate in any of the various local food challenges going on in North Carolina and across the country. Not because I don't think it would be possible. In fact, I believe North Carolina is one of the best states to do it in. I just don't know if I want to add more rules or guidelines to my life.
I actually thought about participating in the 100 Mile Diet last year and blogging about it for the News & Record, but I scrapped the idea once I became pregnant. Now that my daughter is six months old, I feel comfortable trying it. Plus, eating locally is becoming more popular and I've got to be in the in-crowd, now don't I? (Yeah, right.)
I've been gardening in a small plot and shopping at the farmers markets in Greensboro and Colfax since last spring. Resources such as Slow Food Piedmont Triad and Local Harvest have helped me find sites for all kinds of goods, such as locally milled flour, chicken and herbs. I just need to decide how strict I want to be and how long I want to go. Do I cut out rice and pasta, salt and pepper? Do I go for a week, a month or the rest of the year? What restaurants in Greensboro would be off limits?
Whatever I decide, I have made the commitment to increase the amount of locally-grown and produced foods I eat. I like feeling connected to farmers and artisans in Guilford County and North Carolina and being able to ask them face to face about their products. But I want my purchases and food preparations to be both a joy and learning experience, not a guilt-ridden chore.
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