Jenny Heins and Andrea Faste

Have you ever heard of the 100-mile diet? Move over, South Beach! This is about local farming sustainability and refreshing common sense, not a weight reduction fad! We're talking about limiting what you eat to food grown within 100 miles of where you live. Here's why:

Not long ago over half of all North Americans lived on farms. Now family farms have given way to a food industry dominated by big corporations, leading to decreased variety, nutritional value and flavor in the food we find in our grocery stores. In the US, state legislatures have been passing bills that restrict local control of food crops and seed distribution, further limiting planting choices by our own farmers. This limits choices that we as consumers have for food diversity and health. Though consumers have delayed this vote, on March 9th, the House of Representatives will vote on a bill (HR 4167) to deny local and state governments the power to require food safety warning labels on food & beverages. This is another measure that will put distance between us and our food.

Besides the limits agribusiness puts on our food choices, we are also relying more on cash crops from abroad. Farmers as far away as Chile and New Zealand, who used to grow food for their families, are now growing crops for export. Crops such as coffee, oranges, and bananas, or asparagus and apples out of season, bring short term profit, which the farmers often spend on herbicides and pesticides to further increase their yields. Not only are they harming their land, by not growing their own food, they have to rely on less nutritious fast food for their families.

By importing food from far away, we are paying not only for the food, but the cost of bringing it here on container ships burning fossil fuels. We are diverting local economies in other lands, possibly forcing farmers who once fed their own families on the land, to now producing for U.S. gourmet tastes while they subsist on junk food. From a global perspective, its not good for the planet or healthy for people.

Luckily, here in Ballard and in Western Washington, we have an alternative - fresh, nutrient-rich, flavorful produce is available from our local farmers at farmers markets. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms allow us to buy in for a season of fresh foods, we have a network of grocers who specialize in organic and local foods, and we can grow food year-round in our own backyards thanks to a beneficent climate.

Eating locally is a key part of building a self-reliant community. To that end, this summer, some of us will try eating foods grown within a 100-mile radius of Seattle. Yes, we will have to renounce coffee and chocolate. Our goal is not to deny ourselves of luxury foods, but to discover the richness and diversity of foods that are available in our own region. We hope to demonstrate that we can eat well and reduce dependence on long-distance food, thereby reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and shrinking our "ecological footprint."

To kick start this effort, on March 30th, Sustainable Ballard and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies will co-host a dinner, "Eat Local Now!" at Ballard Foodfest, highlighting local farmers and local food. Please join us. Then, in early summer, in collaboration with Ballard Market, we will begin tagging the foods that fit this 100 Mile Diet.

Jenny Heins and Andrea Faste are guild coordinators with Sustainable Ballard. To learn more about the "Eat Local Now!" event, the 100 Mile Diet, or Sustainable Ballard, please contact us at info@sustainableballard.org.