challenge: reducing petroleum footprint on food - 1 meal/week

[2dream]

I am not sure I would be able to eat even my own eggs as I have to drive to the co-op to get my chicken feed. LOL ummmmm All my produce may be produced here by me in my garden but the garden spot was disked up by tractor (fossil fuel) then tilled with a tiller (fossil fuel), then preserved with propane.
We acutally eat more than one meal a week that was totally produced here on this little plot of ground. The only exception being the flour or meal used to make our bread of choice that night. Tonight we are having rabbit that we raised and slaughtered, seasoned with 3 different types of peppers that we also raised, (oops the salt was trucked in) peas that we grew and cornbread or rolls. The flour or meal would be the only other thing purchased. Does that count? If it does we do this about 4 times a week.

 

[Lady Henevere]

Hm - there's no way I could go petrol-free. Seriously reduced, perhaps. The farmer's market is not within walking distance, and the farmers all drove there anyway. The veggies growing here were purchased as seeds or seedlings from a store I drove to, and the chicken coop was made in England and shipped over in parts. The feed store is not within walking distance either, and the feed is produced somewhere else.

My food is mostly "reduced-travel" though. Produce is mostly from the farmers' market, CSA, or the backyard, eggs are from the backyard, chickens' feed is made in California, dairy products are from California, and all are organic. Other stuff is not so environmentally friendly when it comes to travel, like coffee, sugar, wheat flour, detergents, etc. I suppose it's a start. I'll keep an eye out for where I can be better.

 

[me&thegals]

Same as above. I think it's important to consider that ANY change is better than nothing. I think really dramatic changes are needed for our environment, but I think the greatest impacts will come from industry and transportation. Still, I want to do my part and do pretty much as you all above.

 

[FarmerChick]

I agree with me&thegals
any change is a good thing. stop buying the imports and food from like CA if you live on the east coast.

but I won't give up bananas from "wherever" they come from...LOL

If I eat my own chicken, my own corn, rice from a package made in the US...I guess I got my food petroleum down a good bit.

Just make smart local buying choices and we help all we can.

 

[big brown horse]

This thread definitely has me thinking!!

This year I have managed to save seeds from 8 different heirloom tomatoes that a dear friend gave me...my first time to ever save seeds for the next year by the way. This means that those tomato plants will be petro footprint free right?

The garden is finishing up for the season with only potatoes and pumpkins (the sugar sweet ones, yum!) and a few herbs leftover, but the orchard is full of pears and apples...all petro free. The only help I got with them was from the rain and the Orchard Mason Bees.

The other day I saw a guy that lives on an island row his boad over to land with his bicycle on the boat to get around on the mainland...now that was inspirational!! He was a fisherman too, so you know his dinner was going to be petro free!

Hey does anyone know anything about harvesting salt from salt water?

 

[homestead holdout]

I agree with me&thegals
any change is a good thing. stop buying the imports and food from like CA if you live on the east coast.

My thought too, why on earth do I have a French or even CA wine when it's just as good (for me that is) from a half hour away or better yet, the neighbor gave me some plum wine she made herself.... Growing up in Alaska made me think about this a very long time ago. Not only was all of the food in grocery stores from AT LEAST 2500 miles away, how old was the stuff and do I even want a veggie that has been modified in order to last a long time and take some hard hitting on a road trip?? I may as well eat cardboard.

 

[johnElarue]

Try to see if you can eat just 1 meal / week with either zero or as close to zero as you can get, petroleum impact... It's HARD!*

Wow! good idea for the vegetably challenged like myself. I've been trying the very same thing. 1 meal per week from homegrown ingredients = 5% of your food bill. But I didn't consider the petroleum aspect, now that is tough.


Great homepage, funky and nice

 

[dragonlaurel]

I'd have to fast that meal at the moment. The farmers market and the local veggie stand are both closed for the winter.

My little frig garden could give me a salad bowls worth right now.

Homestead home page is amazing. I love your place.

 

[valmom]

I don't think in winter that is really going to work around here. But, I do try to buy as much in-state produced as i possibly can. My animals eat grain produced at a Vermont grain company, the local coop has locallly grown produce, honey, of course maple syrup, I put up jams from local fruit, there is a winery in my town, and there are many choices for in-state cheeses and beer

It only makes sense to support your local economy as much as possible so if anything horrible happens there will still BE a local economy.