Talking To Your Kids About the Eat Local Challenge

Last year, we didn’t talk about the Eat Local Challenge.  I made an executive decision.  In one short year, though, the Kindergartener has doubled his awareness, and so I thought a conversation was in order this time. 

I sat him down in front of a bowl full of Goldfish crackers and explained that for one month, we would eat only the things grown by the farms we know.  He was all, yeah I know, that’s what we always do.  And I was all, oh yeah?  Who’s the Cheerios farmer then?  What’s his name?  Does he live anywhere near the Frozen French Fry farmer who, rumor has it, has been known to hop the fence now and then for the Heinz Ketchup farmer? 

To give him an idea of what he’d be up against, I ran through a short list of the things we’d be going without.  Bananas.  Orange juice.  Chex.  Hot dogs.  The latter really made an impression:

Him: You mean, we’re not eating hot dogs ever again?

Me: Good Lord, no!  Just in October.  Then we’ll return to our weekly hot dog schedule.

Him: Oh.  But I like juice.

Me: You can have apple cider for breakfast instead.

Him: Apple cider?  I like apple cider.

Me: I know.

Him: …But, what about Halloween?

Uh-oh.  The kid brings up a good point.  Halloween is in October.

Me: Don’t worry, child of mine, there’s no way in hell we’re giving that up.  Not on my watch.

I mean, everybody has their limits.

Comments

[houllie]

Dear Tammy,
It's time for me to leave a comment on your wonderful blog that I read regularly - with much delight! Because, yep, it's time for my New England-fall foliage-nostalgia as every year. Thank you also for the link to the CBS video. Nostalgia's hitting even harder. The places I know (Russo's!), remembering also all the nice people of Waltham's Farmer's market... Here in the south of France, we certainly don't suffer any shortage of good local food but I will always miss this special season in New England. Thank you for refreshing (so refreshingly) my memories!

[Husband]

Does apple cider have vitamin C? There's no way we are adding scurvy to the start of cold season. And no bananas? Are we living in Crazytown, USA?

I see a "discussion" brewing here.

[cookiecrumb]

Fortunately, Halloween is the last day of October. If you can keep your kid up late enough, he can eat his first piece of candy on Nov. 1.
I know. Not gonna happen.

[Caesar's Mom]

Hi Tammy,

I'm pretty sure you can buy (if you chose to do so) hot dogs for the Kindergartener that are made locally (like Chelsea)... it's the same folks who make the Al Fresco chix sausages... I want to say "Kahn's" but I'm not sure. Welch's grape products & some Ocean Spray are made in MA from MA-grown produce. Chicama Vineyard on MV makes it's own olive oil and a nice bottle of Island Red too. There are other closeby vineyards that do wild and wonderful things with fruit and/or grapes & fermentation... hail to the glorious grape!

I too try mightily to follow the advice in Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"... with varying results. Caesar's Dad didn't do much veggie gardening this year, so we don't have much to freeze, although I will try to see what I can get at local farmers' markets & farms.

Love reading your blog! Don't know you but feel I do (I'm in WR too!)... p.s. great job on your kitchen update!

[Tammy]

Caesar's Mom: Thanks for the tips. Yes, I think it's Kayem that's Chelsea-based. I forgot about them, but that will be an excellent fall-back plan once the whining reaches a certain decibel level. That and Gorton's fish tenders. BTW, I didn't know Chicama made olive oil! I have some vinegar of theirs.

CC: I'd rather cheat than keep him whining until midnight.

Husband: Were you not part of these discussions? Hrrmmm. But didn't you see all the local beer I bought for you? Hush-beer. P.S. Peppers have vitamin C. And broccoli, too. We can have broccoli juice for breakfast.

houllie: Thank you so much for your nice comment! If ever there was a time for New England nostalgia, it's now. Oh, but living in the south of France must ease the pain. Now I'm jealous!

[Melissa]

I could totally give up Halloween. I am no candy fan. You're like my husband with your sweet tooth, though he's less the chocolate, more the fruit flavored kind.

And you could always make your own hot dogs. Cause it's not like you have enough to do n a day-to-day basis. Right?

[Sophie]

According to this source:
http://www.nycider.com/nutrition1.htm
8 oz of Apple Cider has 6% of your daily requirements for Vitamin C.