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Friday, July 1, 2011

30 Days: Locavore Edition

My own 30 day experiment makes me think of Morgan Spurlock and all the crazy things he's documented. Now that I've done it myself as a locavore, it's amazing how much just 30 short days can really impact and change your perspective. As someone who loves food and loves to cook and delights in homemade things, I'm actually truly surprised how much this experience has changed how I look at food.

I feel this great sense of accomplishment and I'm really proud of where I spent my money these past 30 days--that's definitely something that will affect how I spend my money going forward. One of the biggest obstacles for me, was the convenience factor. I'm a 9 p.m. grocery shopper. I've gotten the chance to go home settle down, eat dinner and maybe watch some TV and make a grocery list and then head out to Rouses in that last hour when the store is quiet before they close. While this experience has made me appreciate Rouses even more for the sheer number of local products they carry--I couldn't survive on their local items for 30 days.

On a side note, I did stop at Winn-Dixie for a late night emergency baking supply stop when I ran out of ingredients for a cake I was making for a friend, and what I found was pretty depressing and reinforced why I don't like shopping there. I was completely shocked when I walked into the diary section and they didn't have any Kleinpeter products. Shame on you Winn-Dixie--that's all I have to say about that...

Anyway, while I understand Hollygrove's weekly box isn't for everyone, what I really loved was the convenience factor. I can go to the farmer's market and look and look and come out with only a handful of things. I like just walking up in Hollygrove and getting whatever is in the box and figuring out what to do with it later. Of anything in this experience, the box has really pushed me to be creative with items I never would have picked out myself. Patty pan squash? Fairy Tale eggplant?

I've learned a lot about food and about myself and what I think is important when it comes to the food we put in our body to sustain our lives. As much as I love food, I don't think I've ever felt so excited and invigorated. I cooked more meals this month than I think I've ever even come close to in any other month, but I don't feel exhausted or bored. I don't feel limited by what I can't have, but invigorated by the endless possibilities. It makes me want to share how delicious and fun this whole experience can be.

I love how much I've learned, how great I feel, how many delicious fruits and vegetables I've incorporated in my diet, how much weight I've lost, how much fun I've had, how much my perspective has changed in just 30 days, but ultimately the creativity that I have approached food with these past 30 days of anything has been the most valuable. Undoubtedly this experience has changed the norm in our house--I'll admit, it's nice to have chocolate and wheat and tea and coffee, but it also gives me a lot of satisfaction being connected to my food geographically speaking. All the locavores have proved that it can be done in our bountiful region and the imported goods we have come to enjoy in this global economy should be the exception, not the rule.