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And Survey Says...........

Posted at 12:25 AM on December 15, 2008 by Vera Schabicki (2 Comments)

I hope it is not cheating, but I thought this survey asked good questions and our intrepid readers might enjoy them.....

1. What did you learn overall during the year?

I have learned both through the process of buying food locally and through some of my reading just how difficult it is to eat locally.....and the interesting political reasons that some of these changes have taken place in a rather rapid time frame (within the last 30 or so years).

2. What would you have done differently?

If I had it to do all over, I would try harder to engage with a larger populace. I would have gotten in touch with my local newspaper and solicited their help, and maybe a little media exposure. I would have made an appointment to talk with my local Whole Foods store and told them about my project and asked for their help. I would have made getting to know more about local farmers markets a higher priority.

3. Do you have specific plans to continue next year?

I have been committed to organic eating for many years. The people I have met and the very high quality of the local food has really inspired me to be even more committed as a locavore.

4. With the economy in chaos, is becoming a locavore a sound financial decision? Why or why not?

Eating locally does cause one to really assess what is fresh and available. Most local foods are fresh or very simply prepared (cheeses and meats, baked goods). The price per pound of items can at times be higher but between eliminating some choices and having a diet composed of fresh foods I think it is certainly comparable in price to actually less expensive.

For myself, as I get farther into this process I am meeting people who are closer to my home and therefore I save time and money when I purchase food locally.

5. Again what are your percentages of local food versus other?

I believe our local consumption is averaging around ninety percent. We are steadily improving our numbers. Our diet has become more limited in some ways but the increased consumption of sausages, cheese, homemade beer and wine, and breads has certainly not been a hardship :).

6. Are your food costs rising or declining this quarter compared to the same time last year? If so, how much more or less do you think you are spending? Try to account for rising food costs in your area. Let me know if you are accounting for rising food costs in general or not.

I am pretty lax about keeping up with expenses per se (disorganized personality syndrome) but I know for sure that our price for eggs, milk, cheese, and veggies has not gone up at all or has only gone up slightly. The cost of things at our local Whole Foods has gone up for things like butter, cheese, and dairy in general, but they have really expanded the offering of store brand organics which has been a cost saving. (For example, the organic whole wheat pasta is under $1.50. This is not a local item, but the previous store brand was about $2.00. The nice Italian brand is close to three dollars.) We have had a pretty difficult year financially and have in general cut the amount of nicer things. We eat a lot of beans, rice, pasta and veggies. We eat meat maybe once a week and we buy no packaged foods whatsoever, so our food expenses have gone down.

7. Are you driving more, less or the same to be a Locavore this season?

I am driving about the same. I would be a better locavore if I dedicated one day a week to just "locavoring". Realistically I squeeze in what I can between my child rearing and homeschooling obligations. I have had some really fun field trips with my husband and various friends checking out cool local food venues. I hope this continues and expands.

8. Have you gained or lost any weight on the Locavore diet?

UGHHHH!!!

I have neither gained nor lost any significant weight this year. Every time I pass a mirror I am stunned not to see the slender morsel I know myself to be. I HATE this whole carb thing that people are talking about. My mother gently suggested that my middle girth was priming me for many horrid diseases and suggested I try the South Beach thing...after two days of eating protein all I could feel was nauseated....yuck....never mind the ethical question of all of us eating a protein based diet. My favorite book this year was In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan, He made it okay for me to eat cheese and I love him for it.

p.s. I am not obese or anything, just a little over the norm.

9. What could your community do to support local farmers besides buy their products?

I think showcasing local vendors through various media would be nice.
Food festivals would be a fun way to incorporate more local food.
Whole Foods Market could have a farmers market in their parking lot -- this would be great community liaison and more people would be exposed to Whole Foods that might not otherwise shop there (and people could recycle at the same time!!).

10. Have your lives changed in anyway as a result of your year of local eating?

We have gotten to eat even more delicious food and made many new friends.

11. What would you say to non locavores to get them to join up?

It is fun, it is good for you, it is good for the planet, it is good for your community, and you get to meet really cool people!

Comments (2)

Wow, I don't know how Vera does it! Good job at finding so many local foods in the outback of MS. After living in CA where there is so much local, fresh food & then moving here where my first visit to Shelby Farm Farmers Market was answered with 'well, I don't think organic food is good for you'. Vera has really found some gems. kudows to you!

Posted by Patsy | December 21, 2008 10:21 AM

It really seems as though this project has helped you to enter into the spirit of This Place -- the upper Mississippi delta in a way that so many folks that move to this area miss out on -- to move beyond the stereotypes and into experiencing the interrelationships between the people, the land, and the history that makes This Place different from That Place. And have you seen the Mississippi brewed ale that they have at World Market for the holidays? Thanks for letting us peek at your efforts this past year.

Diana

Posted by Diana | December 21, 2008 6:54 PM