One of the side benefits of this project--and honestly maybe it's going to be my big takeaway now that we're 1/3 of the way through--is having a much broader understanding and knowledge of what food actually *is* local, and being somewhat surprised when I find a local producer or manufacturer of my food where I least expect it.
For instance, seeing that there's local honey in my store doesn't exactly bowl me over given all the bees we attract in the lavender plants that grow everywhere around here. But local flour and sugar and coffee? That was news to me.
I've become a different kind of label reader already in this project. I currently care far less about the nutritional value in the products I'm eating, and moreso about where the products are being made. I guess I assume with all the fruits and vegetables on our plates right now that my diet is inherently a lot better (although the Iben's BBQ for Seafair on Sunday was a step backward, albeit an allowed one in our household).
Still, finding local colas and chips, breads and cheeses, wines and even salami's for the picnic in the arboretum is keeping me motivated right now. I've always appreciated the local bounty of fruits and vegetables around here--but it's the other staples of my diet that are the most ripe for a permanent change in branding come September.
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