The 100-Mile Diet

I've been reading about the 100-Mile Diet and I'm feeling inspired to learn more about local food sources. The 100-Mile Diet is eating food grown and produced within a 100-mile radius of where you live. Two people, Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon took on this challenge in 2005 and did it for an entire year.

In that time, they became acquainted with local farmers, ate produce within 24 hours of the time it was picked and discovered many new foods. According to a study cited on their website, a regional diet uses "17 times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped across the country."

You don't have to eat within the 100-Mile Diet for a year to make a difference. Even one local meal per day or per week can make an impact. Consider hosting a potluck in which the focus is seasonal, local food. I'm going to start planning one.