My main post for today is over at the Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op where I am writing about my 100 mile diet and blatantly trying to solicit tips from people who have tried it already.
At this stage of the game, I would love any ideas or tips to help me reach my biggest goal for the year. Some people so far have recommended a book by Barbara Kingsolver, titled “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”. I am going to pop into my local library tomorrow (by bike of course) and see it I can loan it. I have been told that it should help me to no end.
Gav
Animal Vegetable Miracle was perhaps the best book I read last year.
Very informative and VERY entertaining.
Tim
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – a great book
It *is* a great book Gavin, but it’s really more of an inspiring memoir than a how-to, if that is are what you are after? Well worth a read though.
Another title to consider is Living The Good Life by Linda Cockburn. Not only is it in our hemisphere (makes it much easier than adding/subtracting six months), it’s a very ‘real’ approach. Linda also has a blog http://lintrezza.blogspot.com/
Cheers, Jane
Also meant to say, I’m having a crack at this myself but have extended my 100 miles to cover the island – I live in Tasmania. It’s very difficult being limited to King Island cheese, Tamar Valley wines and Boags beer.
I too am in tassie Jane, and great cherries, raspberries, blackberries, Cascade beer and soft drinks, local goats cheese, bruny island fudge, oysters, crays and scallops. Fresh fish caught by local friends, Huon Valley wine trail, blueberries, strawberries, local organic beef, spring lamb all year, stone fruits,pink eyes, I too like Jane feel the whole of our island is close enough to be included in our 100mils. lol
I’d second the suggestion for “Living the Good Life”. I found it was a much more inspiring and interesting read than Animal, Vegetable, Mineral (although it’s also worth reading that).
While there are some similarities between Kingsolver’s and Cockburn’s books, the journeys being documented are completely different.
Cockburn and family set out to live for a period without spending money. It was not primarily an attempt to eat locally.
Also, Cockburn’s attempts at food self-sufficiency didn’t go too well due to extreme weather conditions and an absence of rain.
As an account of relying on local food I think Kingsolver’s book would be the more valuable. Not, as someone pointed out, as a how-to-do-it guide, but as an inspirational account of someone who has done it.
It also contains a lot of interesting recipes to make use of the glut of particular seasonal veggies.
I enjoyed both books – but if I could only choose one it would be Animal Vegetable Miracle. But thankfully I didn’t need to be restricted to only one of the books.
great info on the diet industry’s dirty little secrets!
It is a great read, but it is very American and not really a ho-to guide. Still worth a read though, I loved the chapter on her Amish friends!