Any 100 milers out there (i.e. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/07/living_on_the_1_1.php )? I'm finding that the "farmer's markets" around me sell a lot of shipped-in food. It would be great if there was a mapquest type tool where you could type in your address, and you were given a list of food sources. Any input would be appreciated.

I have heard of it. I don't say I am, but I am probably close. I buy fruits and veggies from a CSA (community service agriculture). I buy flour tortillas from my town. The only things I buy out of my 100 miles is soymilk, soyyogart, soycream. That comes from CO and I live in CA. Everything else I get comes from within 100 miles.

I have that problem with my own farmer's market. I am trying a new one next weekend that I think may be locally grown. A few weeks ago I heard a man at my farmer's market telling a customer that the cantaloupe came from Mexico as ours aren't ready yet. You could just not sell cantaloupe until they were....but I know, that would be inconvenient.

B

What do the 100 mile dieters do for calorie foods (grains, nuts, beans)?

What do the 100 mile dieters do for calorie foods (grains, nuts, beans)?

That's the big problem in Southern California and tons of other places, I'm sure. For that exact reason, a friend of mine and I are going to try a "100-mile-foraging" diet and see how tolerable it is. We can get mesquite, acorns, and buckwheat legally on BLM land within our range, and chenopodium and amaranth grow as weeds. If anything, we'll become fit from all the exercise!

That's great nigel! I'm interested in how the mesquite works out, as far as processing and using as food. I think it tastes good, sort of like a graham cracker, but I've never collected enough to really do anything with it. I'd have to trespass to get the pods.

Things are looking up - the aforementioned friend has located someone, within range, who raises barley and oats (and goats for cheese). We also have Ilex vomitoria plants (Yaupon Holly - tastes better than it sounds) we brought from the East Coast. It's the only indigenous source of caffein in North America, making up the hippest hundred-milers in southern California!

I'd love to try something like that, as the amount of fuel used on food imports angers me beyond belief, but unfortunately, living in an English suburb, I'd get very little variety. I can imagine my parents wouldn't support it at all, as they're already worried about my switch to veganism, and so are very concerned with me geting plenty of nutrients from stuff like nuts, rice and raisins, which obviously aren't grown here.

Heh, I also live in SoCal, but there's no way I'd be able to do this 100%! Keep it up.

I've noticed the same thing at my local "farmer's market." A lot of crates and boxes with the names of south American countries on them.

let's put "farmer's market" on the list of terms to be regulated!

?? We have several farmers markets in various locations in my area of Southern California, and I've never seen anything but California-grown produce there. Granted, a very small percentage of the farms are more than 100 miles away, but the majority are well within 100 miles from my town.

?? We have several farmers markets in various locations in my area of Southern California, and I've never seen anything but California-grown produce there. Granted, a very small percentage of the farms are more than 100 miles away, but the majority are well within 100 miles from my town.

Yeah, we're lucky in that our produce most likely comes from our own state, but it is a big, long state. The markets near my home, as is also the case for someone above, will bring in food from South America when it's out of season or from Mexico when it's cheaper. Buying it, of course, is a choice but isn't always a well-informed choice.

?? We have several farmers markets in various locations in my area of Southern California, and I've never seen anything but California-grown produce there. Granted, a very small percentage of the farms are more than 100 miles away, but the majority are well within 100 miles from my town.

I just caught your point that most of your produce is from with 100 miles of your home. I live in SoCal. Where do you shop? How you confirm the source of the veggies? You have excited me!

Nigel, I mostly shop at the Tuesday Torrance farmers market, but occasionally the Saturday one, which attracts some different vendors. The stands pretty much all have info on where their farm is located, and you can ask the sellers if you're not sure. The organic farms I normally buy from are in Oxnard and other parts of Ventura County, Orange County, and Fallbrook (North San Diego County, just a hair more than 100 miles away). I'm fairly certain they're only selling what they actually grow themselves, because it's all stuff that's appropriate for this climate (i.e. no exotic tropical fruit, no summer fruits in wintertime, etc.) All of the produce crates I've seen have SoCal locations listed on them.

I've never looked at them closely, but each stall displays a clipboard with information on the seller. That's probably a good way to determine where the food is grown. You've piqued my interest now, so I'm going to look a little closer at the vendors and their products the next time I go to the farmers market!

Nigel, I mostly shop at the Tuesday Torrance farmers market, but occasionally the Saturday one, which attracts some different vendors. The stands pretty much all have info on where their farm is located, and you can ask the sellers if you're not sure. The organic farms I normally buy from are in Oxnard and other parts of Ventura County, Orange County, and Fallbrook (North San Diego County, just a hair more than 100 miles away). I'm fairly certain they're only selling what they actually grow themselves, because it's all stuff that's appropriate for this climate (i.e. no exotic tropical fruit, no summer fruits in wintertime, etc.) All of the produce crates I've seen have SoCal locations listed on them.

I've never looked at them closely, but each stall displays a clipboard with information on the seller. That's probably a good way to determine where the food is grown. You've piqued my interest now, so I'm going to look a little closer at the vendors and their products the next time I go to the farmers market!

Thanks! We make a treck behind the Orange curtain ever couple of weeks to see my wife's folks - I'll definitely check it out!