Eat Local on the Cheap
Eat local. Shop at farmer's markets. Luxurious choices for the rich, right? That's the standard claim. But my friend Tim sent me this article at Better Times Info that shows how two people shopped at farmers' markets on a food stamp allowance. They planned meals that were interesting, varied, and efficient in their use of leftovers. Almost 75% of their money went to local vendors instead of disappearing into the pockets of far-away corporate shareholders.
As Tim's wife Mitch points out, the experiment presumes the reader has a garden and canning equipment. Though community gardens can and do exist in low-income areas, canning equipment requires an upfront investment. I wonder what it would take for the government to provide preservation equipment and training for low-income families. Probably too big of a litigation risk from careless cooks. Still, it's an interesting idea.
- Shopping At The Food Pantry
Let's put aside those arguments about whether or not organic food is too expensive or elitist, just for a minute. Or if local food is truly sustainable. Because for some people, it's really not an issue. Their own sustainence is the issue. For...
- Eating Only Local?
There has been a lot of hullaballoo about eating local as of late. It's a topic that has been written about in Gourmet magazine, in the San Francisco Chronicle, in blog after blog and countless other places I'm sure. There is even a group called...
- Farmers Market Opens Today
Can we ever have too many farmers markets? I don't think so. One of the most exciting trends in the past few years has been the explosion in growth of farmers markets. According to the USDA, the number of farmers markets increased almost 20% between...
- Food Safety
Where do you shop for groceries? I shop all over the place. I shop at chain grocery stores, at specialty gourmet stores, at farmer's markets. You name a place to shop, I've probably shopped there. I'm not alone in this habit. I noticed some...
- The Rebirth Of Zocalo
Photo by melissa nicole. My dear friend Tim Holmes recently reopened Zocalo Coffeehouse in San Leandro after a four-month renovation (see my description of the original here). The results (according to Melissa, who went to the reopening festivities)...