Food Day 4

Day four of No Impact Week is about food. The more local, the better. Extra points if it's grown organically, certified or not. Backyard organic gardening is as local as you can get. That's what I have been doing for 2 years, getting more successful every season. When I started, I was amazed at the long growing season in Central Texas. I garden actively 10 months of the year but I have met organic professionals that grow fruits and veges all year long. Wow!! I am always amazed at what Texans can do. If gardening is not where you want to spend your energies, there are other local options in this area including dozens of Farmers Markets. There is also the home delivery option for greater Austin and some surrounding areas including Greenling and Farmhouse Delivery. These resources plus a few local, organic grocery stores in my area allow me to leave a relatively lower carbon footprint than in the past. I used to be a 'Coupon Queen' which only left room in my pantry for name brand, highly processed food from the big food empires. I gradually changed over the last 2 years and managed to take a few friends with me over to the dark side....
Tonight I am having liver and onions from Allways Grassfed Beef about 45 miles from here. Actually I bought 1/4 of a grass fed, pastured cow and filled my 7 cu/ft freezer! For the sides are Rutabega Bake made from rutabegas, carrots and herbs from my garden and Cabbage Ramen Slaw made with Cabbage from my garden. This is a very local and organic dinner. This is a much more successful day than transportation day, my weakness.

My trash tally was great until I got home. I managed just to throw away 2 paper napkins, a taco wrapper, hashbrown wrapper and two pretzel wrappers one of my coworkers left on the table. I didn't bring enough food for breakfast, I actually brought a new hot cereal I have never tried before and by 9:30 it was obvious it wasn't going to satiate me until lunch. So instead of grabbing the styrofoam clamshell, I grabbed a taco and hashbrown and hand carried it to the register. When I got home, my order of reusable, sustainable products arrived from far away, neatly packaged in so much packing material I lost count. Some of it I was able to throw in the recycle bin.
Two of these items were reusable sandwhich bags from ReSnackit. I really loooovvvvee these. A bit pricey but will pay for itself and totally worth it given that it's made in the USA and it's Lead,BPA,Phthalate,PVC FREE!! As the tage says, "Earth Inspired, Mom Created, Child Endorsed!".

I could go on but you get the picture. This tennet did not take me out of my comfort zone, yeah! But that is not the point of this exercise. I will work on transportation and let you know how that goes. Tomorrow? ENERGY!!