Eat Local - a challenge

Thanks for that link - its something our local group intends to do as well (produce and plants). We are organising a 'Pagan/Harvest Festival' near the autumn equinox to swap veg and other home produce as well as celebrate local food (and beer). Its a great way of bringing people together..

 

Clueless, you can certainly grow chillies here. This is some of mine from last year. I grow them on the windowcill.
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Alice, you're right of course. Chillis was not the best example, it is just what sprung to mind at the time. The wife grew peppers indoors a few times, although the results were not great. I will have to have a go at growing chillis next year (its a bit late to grow them from seed this year), as I love chillis.

I have to say this thread has spurred me on a bit, but I'm a bit put off because many of the veg the wife and I like probably need a greenhouse. I like fleshy veg that can stand up to being used in curries, stir fries, veg bakes and the likes. I guess I ought to make a list of stuff that I know we'd like, and then narrow it down based on what we can actually grow. The trouble is, leafing through my seeds catalogue, I see so many vegs in there that I've never even heard of, it is hard to decide what to do.

 

Definitely start with what you like to eat. If you get despondent then the fact that the veg are what you really like will carry you through any low spells.

 

I so often read that low-income families must rely on cheap supermarket food, and it annoys me a bit! We are on a very low income ( trying to augment it a little by selling our veg boxes locally!) but we make quality food a priority. We do without other things but buy organic where we can, and always free-range / organic meat. We just eat meat less often. It shouldn't be assumed that price is always the most important factor, unless you have the luxury of a disposable income.

 

Do you reckon the thing that "low income families" struggle with is affording ready meals? ... preparing food from "raw" ingredients is more cost effective, surely? and better for them of course ...

 

Yes, I agree.It does take more time to prepare everything, and many people haven't grown up seeing 'real' cooking or learning how to do it. I personally wouldn't use ready meals even if I could afford them because good nutrition happens to be important to me, even though I'm not mad about cooking! But I can see the attraction of instant meals when time is short. I think there should be far more education about good food and nutrition to counteract the efforts of the advertising industry. But don't start me on that subject!

 

" I can see the attraction of instant meals when time is short."

I don't think they are different to batch cooking. Make two, or half-a-dozen, Sheppard's Pies and freeze the rest ...

As you say, its a skill that has been lost by many, and the whole obesity thing is now causing the government to have a huge rethink

Its a blinking big ship, and its very slow to turn, though!

 

"So what I am trying to say here that growing your own is hard work, and there is a lot of commitment involved. It is possible if a person want to give it a go. It all depends on people and their views about a little digging here and there."

My thoughts are that, like the ready meals, and the loss of "cooking skills", in the old days the Old Boys taught the young'uns about vegetable gardening (and about flora and forna in general) and that has waned too. Fewer people working-the-land perhaps, and many of the village-folk have moved there from the towns, so its moreof a dormitory-village for the work in the local town, than a village community of yesteryear.

Recent interest in healthy eating, not to mention Recession, has stimulated interest in grow-your-own.

Good thing too!

Just need to get the old boys leaning over the fence giving the youngsters the benefit of their years of experience.

 

I live in Linclnshire so it is easy to buy local produce,But I still grow some myself aspecially herbs.There were lovely big hanging baskets of mixed herbs at our Farmers Market,Everyone could plant up a herb basket they dont need any room.