We have decided to begin our challenge on April 4th 2010. My 30th birthday. We figure it is going to take us that long to really wrap our heads around the whole idea of living without some things.I woke up on saturday thinking "Does this mean an end to oatmeal in the mornings? and homemade granola in my yogurt for snack?" The hubby woke up thinking "Crap, where am I going to find coffee? and "There is Bacon within 100 miles right?"
I've decided that I am going to save our receipts from all the shopping we do between no and then to get an accurate picture of our pre 100 mile spending. One of the things I am most excited about, in terms of this experiment is the possibility of working for our food. I have no problem exchanging work for food with any willing farmers at the market, and I think we are going to try to find a CSA share that has actual hours at the farm, not just at the pick up points.
We've been talking rules and fears this week. Right now the hubby says the rules should be different for him, because he has to go off to work with lunch in hand; but I counter this argument with the fact that I have to feed two children- One of which will only really just be starting solid foods at the beginning of our 100 mile journey.
Some of the rules (or guidelines really) we have thought up so far are:
We will not start with a clean pantry; rather we will use up what is left in the cupboards as we go. Like I said this is really an experiment in finance more than anything else, and I will not waste food. This does NOT mean that we can stockpile foods two weeks prior to the start date.
Alcohol beverages in house must abide by the 100 mile rule- and we are still trying to figure out how they will work outside the house.
Some things can slide. Milk for instance. Our milk is store brand milk that is processed in a plant in NJ, from NJ, PA and NY cows, I know that small farm milk is more expensive and with the two kids drinking it, milk could break us financially if we go strictly 100 mile on it. We are going to look at certain foods on a case by case basis.
I am going to 95% in charge of finding food sources. The hubby says he is willing to go along with this craziness, but he doesn't want to be responsible for it.
Some foods we fear being unable to find:
Flour- I know where to get wheat flour in small batches but I am not sure if it is actually grown in the 100 miles or just ground within it.
"The thing I am most worried about right now is my lunch." Says the hubby. He works construction and is used to heaping mayo and coldcut filled sandwiches. He is also picky about temperatures so I know lunch will be a double challenge for him.
Is it weird that that is all I can think of right now? I know sweets will be tough because of the sugar, but NYC has an urban bee program so I know where to get honey; and I know of a great creamery for ice cream. My brain says 100 miles is a huge radius. For us it spans from Sag Harbor to just outside Allentown in PA east to west, and from Saugerties NY to Ocean City NJ from North to South.
So how hard can it be?
4 comments:
This is super-exciting! We should go to the Union Square Farmers Market together to do some local-farm research...
Yes!
You lost me about the milk - NJ isn't within 100 miles of you?
parts of NJ are. the processing plant is within the 100 miles, but i have no real way of knowing if the cows are... I am using it as an example of something that is basically 100 miles but not provable strictly 100 miles. if that makes sense. Store brand eggs are another example as our eggs are from a processing place in NY, but i don't know where the chickens come from...
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