What exactly is it that Governor O'Malley is asking us Marylanders to do? Buy local? I always buy local, where else would I buy my stuff? I bought local New Jersey Peaches and farm fresh poulats from Ohio just the other day at my local fruit stand. So I suppose I am up for a major award for my foresight in buying? An aid came over and whispered something to me and we both had a truffle shuffle type laugh over it. The aid suggested that local peaches were ones bought in Maryland and grown in Maryland. No way! That's hard to do. Richardson chickens are here in Baltimore County. They have all kinds of chickens and eggs. So we can eat poultry and fowl, and it's local. Yippy, I'm on the governor's good side.
Slammer Mike brought up it certainly isn't cheap eating that way. The farmer puts an extra charge on her bees wax honey because of the cost of gas. What about the gas we saved her by buying at her farm, she didn't even have to load the truck! I think the key to eating local, is eating small. You can't go the megla mart and find food from the hood. They get it cheaper trucking in up to 1500 Miles, or they did. The gas is killing us all. A lot of things aren't being sent anymore. I suppose asking everyone to buy a few things local is a good start? How about taking it a few steps further and encouraging people to eat a few foods FROM their home.
I hope the Governor starts pushing for a form of the old victory gardens. Everybody grows what they can in their own back yards and shares and trades with others in the neighborhood. I've got a real nice start, tons of tomatoes, green peppers, hot peppers, squash, and herbs. Have room for corn? I'll trade ya some heirloom tomatoes and lettuce for some corn and green beans? The shopping has to be in the way of the guy down the road that sells eggs, or the chap up the street that has goats and lambs. To me that is what eating locally is all about.
I think the way of the future as it pertains to local foods, are the CSA's that are popping up all over. We are joining the one on Cromwell Bridge Rd. A CSA is a farm that you go pitch in and are guaranteed a share. I think your share guarantees you organically grown fruits and veggies for 24 or 26 weeks. It also teaches you to work together and take what you get in lean times. Yep, the Governor had a good message. We need to push people to grow something and things will be better. Yep, the Governor had a good idea, but I think it would have been a great idea if it came from Erlich!
3 comments:
I'm right with you on this one. We have pumpkins out the whazoo, cucumbers, several different tomatoes,I'm not sure what else in in there this year. (I haven't been too much help in the garden this year)
My wife put a lot of different flowers in this year so we have fresh flowers everyday. Besides the cut flowers that part of the garden also provides some interesting nature shows. They are attracting humming birds, butterflies, all different types of birds and rabbits.
The grapes look good we had some good strawberries earlier in the summer. The apple trees don't look like they are going to do much this year.
The local farmers are opening their stands on the road side. It's funny up here with all the farmers you'll see a roadside stand that says local corn and when you talk to the person they say it isn't really local it is from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The corn in the Hereford Zone won't be in for a few weeks yet. So it is a different perspective of what is local. The same is true down on the shore with crabs. You might be in St. Michaels to buy crabs and ask if they are local and they'll say, "No these crabs are from the Wye River." To them the Miles River is local.
I agree O'Malley had a good idea and it shows there is some good food in Maryland in the good old summer time.
I've got bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer for bread already. We should pull the gang together, everyone freeze their extra tomatoes and have a sauce making party! We used to have a ball up the Hereford farm making apple butter and grape jelly. Good times.
Ever make zucchini pie? That is great stuff.
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