Loco Yoko

As most of you probably know, our mid-year resolution was to eat more locally. We determined our local radius was 100 miles, or 2 hours. Ross pointed out that we could count California since we pretend we're local there for a week every year. In her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kinsolver reports that if every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. That’s not gallons, but barrels. Small changes in buying habits can make big differences. Becoming a less energy-dependent nation may just need to start with a good breakfast. So, the Simmons are up to the challenge.

We started this week with a visit to our local Grand Prairie farmer's market. This consisted of 2 potluck style tables with tomatoes, peppers, potatos, and cukes. Carol and I both tried some tomatoes, the farmers were apparently from Bowie (within our radius), but the produce boxes made us pretty suspicious. We tried a couple of different types of tomatoes, some cukes, some potatoes, as well as a watermelon and a canteloupe. We're doing our best to support the local farmers, but a part of me thinks they don't know a Celebrity from an Early Girl from a Roma.

I tracked down a local farm for meat, and this looks totally promising. Rehoboth Ranch in Greenville offers local pasture raised, pasture finished beef, chicken, lamb, pork, eggs, and goats milk (for feta). You order during the week and then pick it up at the Dallas Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. We ordered 10 lb. of chicken, 5 lb. of hamburger, a roast, and some beef breakfast sausage. It couldn't have been easier, and are planning our next couple of weeks of meals, starting with Woody burgers tonight. While we were there, we purused the produce. They now have signs stating which products are locally grown/produced, which amounted to about half-dozen stalls. It's a start for sure, we picked up some black eyed peas, new potatatoes, and peaches. There was a guy there selling salmon, with a sign that he had grown/produced it. When I questioned him about it, he explained that he was good friends with the guy who owned the salmon company in Seattle, far-fetched at best. After all I'm pretty good friends with Mrs. Baird, but didn't make the white bread on the shelf.

Green's Produce in Arlington offers a great selection of produce, so far every bit as fresh as either of the farmer's markets. Everything isn't local, but mostly Texas grown. They do carry a huge assortment of pickles, relishes, hot sauce, and honey that are locally produced. I think we'll stick to them for awhile since they are truly local.

So far the biggest lesson we've learned is that you have to use your head and your heart. Some of the local stuff is truly great, and sometimes the lokes on us.