It's everywhere. Fliers on my rig, billboards, e-mails, facebook postings; I mean it's EVERYWHERE. And, in my opinion, for good reason. I am totally on board with this concept. Actually, I think I was raised to be on-board with this concept. Except that my poor dad had no idea this was a 'concept'; it's just the way things are done.
That sums up my take on the eat local movement. DUH..... it's just the way it's done -- or should be done. The frustrating thing about this movement is that many people have always eaten/shopped this way. Those who stuck by the 'old ways' haven't gotten credit for it either. So, I'm giving them their due now. My grandmother always told me that she thought there was something odd about eating things like fresh grapes in the dead of winter. As a child I thought she was just cheap. But as a teenager this mantra snuck in & took hold. For there is something creepy about the American NEED to be able to eat whatever, whenever.... just 'cause.
So, as promised, in this post I'll give you a few places to check out. And of course, as you've all gotten to know, I'll include my ever-prolific opinions along the way....
The first site I'll start with is new to me. I got the referral from a county extension agent in Canyon County, Ariel Agenbroad. The site is called http://www.locavorenetwork.com/ and it is pretty cool. They have a lot of informational pages. They even have a "15 Step Guide to Becoming a Locavore". Brilliant!! i may just distribute that one. Lots of information that's presented in a non-pretentious way. The only bummer is that it is not a local site. It's also a pretty young site. Their building a great network and eventually it will be phenomenal.
The second site you might check out is http://www.thinkboisefirst.org/ This is a great organization for those of you who live IN Boise. They're very pro-active, out-going and lovable people. They are organized and efficient in their outreach. I really like this group. My only grievance with this site is that they are VERY limited in their range. The focus of this group is heavy on the shopper side, light on the eater side. They limit their functions and business members to those in Boise. Fantastic concept, but it's pretty hard to get Boise raised beef or poultry because technically it's illegal to have them in city limits. And those that do manage to keep their livestock in town barely have enough to feed their family... Catch my drift?
Next check out http://www.localharvest.org/ This is a fantastic site for farm hook-ups! You can search for public markets, CSA's, farms, etc. There are newsletters that will let you know what is happening in your area too; new farms, events, etc. You can search for specific products or just for farms in a radius from your home/work. Again, my only bummer is that it is not a local site. But this is my favorite national site, by far. You can even rate the farm you buy from or visited. And trust me, farmers love to have their ego's stroked by eaters!!! You can find my farm here: http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M20379
http://www.idahopreferred.com/ is a site run by our own Idaho Department of Agriculture. I like the people in this office. Their hearts and intentions are the purest! The site will help you find what's in season now and where you can most-likely get it. There are great recipes to help you with your garden over-load, too. I do wish that the Dept. of Ag kept it a little more updated, but they're under a budget crunch too.... so, I'm 'being happy with what I can get'!
Finally, my favorite site is http://www.ruralroots.org/ Rural Roots is a fantastic organization based in Moscow, ID. They really do a superb job of connecting eaters to producers, but also in connecting producers with producers. They support small-farm ag in a way and on a level that no one else does. They're always available for referrals and questions. They organize fantastic workshops and put out really great written materials. They even help us little guys keep an eye on the government and they're ever-wayward ideas. This is just a really lovely organization. Their outreach is great. THEY'RE JUST STINKIN' AWESOME!!!! My farmer friend, Mary, turned me on to them and I owe her for that. My only wish would be that they have a searchable internet database for eaters to find us, but I think I heard a rumor that that is coming... I'll let you know when I know more!
BUY LOCAL IT'S MILES FRESHER!!!
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