What I Learned From The 100-Mile Food Challenge

The challenge is over, and as usual I didn’t make it all the way to the end. Coffee ended up being my “go out” item. That first sip was heaven. I learned a lot doing this challenge and will continue to practice many aspects of it.

The biggest thing I took away from the challenge was an appreciation for the vast array of choices that Americans have when shopping for food. Being able to get “fresh” fruits and vegetables year-round is a privilege many of us take for granted. Doing this challenge in late summer afforded us a much larger number of fresh food choices than if we had done it in the middle of winter. This challenge really got me thinking about the whole food production process and how easy we have it.

This challenge got me thinking about where EVERYTHING I eat comes from. The distance that a product travels to get to the supermarket is something I find myself considering with each selection I make. What about each ingredient that makes up the final product? And what impact does that internationally traveled banana have on the local economy (practically none)?

Moving forward, I plan to buy as much produce locally as the season will allow. Canning would be a good idea, but I don’t have the equipment. I also will buy most of my proteins (meats, dairy, eggs) locally. The local meats are MUCH better than their factory-farmed counterparts. I will do a lot more shopping at Fresh Abundance; I may even get one of their weekly deliveries. Once Main Market opens up I will be shopping there as well. Which reminds me that I need to become a member there.

Tagged as: 7vs7, food, local