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1. 

   meander Posted 1:19 am
   22 Apr 2006

   Eating Local in the Blogs

   An informal group of food bloggers will be exploring the issues and tastes around eating locally during the month of May.  The HQ for the diffuse event is Locavores.  I'm going to give it a try---it will be a great challenge to my cooking skills and a chance to think more carefully about what I'm eating.

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2. 

   Tom Philpott Posted 1:29 am
   22 Apr 2006

   Shameless plug

   Anna will be reading from Grub on April 29 at my own Maverick Farms in Western N.C., with a dinner to follow.

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3. 

   VictoriaE Posted 2:36 am
   22 Apr 2006

   Grubtastic

   Though I know there are a number of books out there that talk about the downfalls of the current food system, I'm glad to see a fresh one come along that informs as well as inspires change by offering advice on how to do so.

   Victoria E Model, Writer, Environmentalist http://victoria-e.com/

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4. 

   caniscandida Posted 3:04 am
   22 Apr 2006

   Locavores

   Thanks, Meander, for this link.  The photo of those four strong women standing outside the Berkeley farmers' market is truly inspiring.

   Here in NYC, I wish we had a resource directing us to sources of locally grown food.  There probably is, in fact, only I do not know what it is.

   My husband, who buys and prepares most of our food, comments that it is all very well and good for Californians to be "locavorous" (sorry, "locavore" is not the happiest of neologisms: "a being who subsists on the flesh of crazy women"?), since you guys have one or another growing season all year long.  But in places such as the Northeast, with long, non-productive winters, some falling away from 100% is going to be inevitable, save for the very tough and the very well organized.  One month a year, say August or September, is doable, I guess, to get into the principle of the thing.  Still, we will want our pasta and olive oil from the Mediterranean.

   I was very impressed by the mother's book when I read it in the mid-1970s, and I look forward to seeing what her daughter has written.  Frances Moore Lappe, the Goddess of Complex Proteins, used two different arguments for vegetarianism: it is more healthful not to eat meat; and it is better for the nourishment of humanity to use a piece of land to raise grains or (especially) legumes instead of cattle.  I will be interested to see what Anna's new take on the ethical considerations is.

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5. 

   kmp Posted 3:11 am
   24 Apr 2006

   Local Harvest

   Caniscandida,

   Check out www.localharvest.org (sorry, the href link doesn't want to work for some reason).  

   They have a searchable database that lists grocery stores, farmer's markets, food co-ops, CSAs, even restaraunts that offer locally produced food.  You can search by zip code to narrow the offerings in Manhattan.

   NYC actually has a ton of availability of local food - more so, I am finding, than up here in the boonies of South Salem.  I know the food market in Union Square each week has very many local farms represented.  Also, I managed to find some good restaraunts in my old 'hood (UWS) that are devoted to local food; Louie's, on Amsterdam and 81st, grow all their own herbs (in a rooftop garden on the East Side) and produce fabulous, fresh, simple dishes that never fail to impress; Cooke's Corner (Amsterdam & 90th) was devoted to a small rotating menu of local foods, but sadly, I think they have closed - check out their sister restaraunt Pizza Bola, which is at (I think) Ams & 92 or 93rd (on the West side of the street); there is a Vintage wine store on B'way between 92/93rd that sells only wines made in NY state. Whatever your neighborhood, I'm sure you'll find some good recommendations on Local Harvest.

   I'm not sure if you eat meat at all, but if so, check out www.flyingpigsfarm.com for out-of-this-WORLD local pork.

   Bon appetit!

   Kaela

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