A Green Food Feast with Options: The 100 Miles Challenge Pledge

Earth Day made me question my habits across the board. Though I mentioned recycling first, yes, bias admitted here, my first leaning was toward food and what I could do to be mindful of my consumption. Nope, I am not talking calories here; it is what the food is wrapped in, and where it comes from that I am aiming to keep track of.

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, finding local, sustainably minded farmers and stores is not as tricky as it once was. The 100 miles challenge pledge calls for you to stick within your area for fresh produce, and also to learn the value of the sustainability that buying locally promotes. Oh, and there is plenty of room for bragging about what one person can do on their online forum. One chatty participant took getting “local” food on foot to a new level — during a road trip. Instead of taking a car, he rode 238 miles on his bike — even going a few miles out of his way — to hit two farmers markets on his way to an event.

Luckily for me, my plan to eat locally grown food at farmers markets isn’t as difficult to map out. Where I live, all markets are within a 5-mile radius. With one zoom in on my GPS, I biked to one farmer’s market, rode back home, and then walked to two others. It was an afternoon of sun and sustainability, as I had promised when joining the 100 miles challenge.

Regardless of where you live, local farmers markets are an untapped local resource that you should be aware of. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Marketing Service posts news and locations of markets near you.

Are you planning a farmers market? Get into the directory while you are browsing the site. National Farmers Market Week, August 7-9, will be here before you know it.

But, to be sustainably minded, you don’t have to wait for a specific seven days, or even one — remember, we are what we eat. Bon appetite!