Lida Locoganic

(The following dust-covered post was found in the 56572 draft files. It was written August 26, 2006. The Pesch Produce blog Lida Farm is worth a look-see and a bookmark. A link is under blogs in the right column.)

While on holiday this summer in Europe the issue in the markets and media of Holland and Denmark was food miles. Next to the price per kilo was a sign with the number of kilometers the food had traveled to get to market. The smaller the number the better for us all was the mantra. When I came home it was back to Farmer's Market which used to be only Labor Day Weekend in 56572 and now is Tuesday and Friday mornings. This means chatting with Gordon under the yellow awning of Bob's 56572 Systembolaget and seeing what Gordy bought in from his garden. Norma is always there too selling her baked goods and jams, her Swedish Brunkaka is my favorite. Either business has been too good or the summer has been slim pickens due to the drought. How many cucumbers and tomatoes can you eat? Some Tuesdays and Fridays Gordon was a no show.

Then out here in Lida Township, the second of the two (the first being the day Maple Beach opens) annual food shed Holy Days occurred, earlier this year than normal, Johanssons put up the signs that the sweet corn is ready on their Centennial Farm on the west end of Lida, you know, the place with the Swedish Family dressed in patriotic yellow and blue?

So one night I am filling my face with Johansson's Swede Corn and a medium rare grilled Bison Burger from Ron's Lida Section 36 Bison Farm (he recently sold his herd I hear) and I think "Golly this is good stuff." Then I take another bite and think Food Miles. Three miles to Johnson's Centennial Farm. Four miles down 108 to Ron's. Seven miles. All my food is from Lida Township! It's four miles over to Gordy's Garden, next to Swede Church in Pelican Township.

One night this week, I was cruising along the Internet Highway across Lida Township when I ran into a fellow blogger from Lida Township. He wrote that he lives between 56572 and 56587. I knew neither who he was nor where he lived and I'm supposed to know that kinda stuff. Well here are my neighbors I don't know yet. They bought Kenny Kratzke's Farm just east of Southern Grahndom, just down the road from Crystal-Lida, where I used to live. What does he do besides blog. He farms. What does he farm? Fruits and vegetables. Where does he sell them? Next to the Pavilion in DL. Saturday mornings. That's about twenty-five Food Miles when his farm is only seven. It's a quandary. Maybe I'll just keep eating at Maple Beach.That's only .5 Food Miles. Now can I buy apples from Dr. Dave DC yet or do I have to drive up to Cormorant Lutheran?

NPR Science Friday yesterday talked about Eating Locally, Thinking Globally I am told. You can listen to the show here.

I doubt very much whether Phil and Cyndy are in to listing Food Miles in their 56572 market. Gordy and Norma's signs would all be the same, under six.

It's tough being a consumer these days. My next thought is to take on Anheuser Busch, they may have a freshness date on their bottle. How about listing Food Miles? Give local breweries a chance. Same goes for you Coke and Pepsi. The highways are cluttered with your trucks too. Local beer from Dr. Dave MD, local apple cider from Dr. Dave DC.

Here are links I found interesting:
LocalHarvest
Eat Local Challenge
10 Reasons to Eat Local Food