Allow me to introduce myself (in the event that someone besides my mom decides to read this). My name is Abby and I live in Mid-Michigan. I'm 31 years old and I work as a graphic designer. I'm involved in our local Jaycees chapter. We do a tremendous amount of community service work and leadership building activities. Oh, yeah, we also eat a lot, too. I do consider myself somewhat of a local-vore already - during the summer months, I split a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share with a friend of mine. Our vegetables and fruits are grown in Leslie and Charlotte, Mich. respectively. The folks at Titus Farms (www.titusfarms.com) harvest their veg and deliver it to CSA recipients that day. Its pretty amazing to eat food that fresh. It tastes like... food.
Anyway. Its not summer yet, so I shouldn't get too ahead of myself. Tomorrow begins a year of local eating for me. And only local eating. The restrictions on this challenge of mine are that the restaurants be locally owned, or Michigan-based (this includes Michigan-based chain restaurants - think about pizzerias with tiny Roman leaders). When travelling, I shall try to stay local to the region I am in, as well.
There are two reasons I have taken up this challenge:
1. Eating locally better stimulates our local economy
2. I'm hoping that, by making conscious efforts to limit my eating in this way, I'll cook more at home, too. Instead of running out for some sort of fast food, it is my hope this will get me to explore my own cooking capabilities, too.
What can you look forward to, as a reader of this blog? Some reviews, quite possibly some photos of food (and who doesn't love photos of food?), perhaps some recipes, mostly though, my thoughts about this (leap) year of local eating.
Happy New Year, everyone! I'm off to Jimmy Johns for my last Vito of 2011!
