Salt
Salt is a big deal. Even if you don't eat much salt, it is an essential electrolyte that your body must have. Not only that, it's pretty critical in bringing out flavors for most people, even when used in tiny amounts. So, some options for a local diet are:
Iodized Table Salt
Industrial salt production isn't local for many people, but the environmental impact on production and transportation is likely quite low.
Industrial salt production isn't local for many people, but the environmental impact on production and transportation is likely quite low.
Home Processed Sea Salt
While much of the country can certainly go to the ocean, collect some clean sea water, and boil it down to crystals, the use of energy to get there and back and to process the sea water is likely less efficient than table salt.
While much of the country can certainly go to the ocean, collect some clean sea water, and boil it down to crystals, the use of energy to get there and back and to process the sea water is likely less efficient than table salt.
Artisnal Sea Salt
Unless you live in France, or happen to live near naturally occurring salt deposits (or own some shallow salt water wetlands), most artisnal salts are probably neither local nor all that great for the environment (transportation, shipping, etc.).
Unless you live in France, or happen to live near naturally occurring salt deposits (or own some shallow salt water wetlands), most artisnal salts are probably neither local nor all that great for the environment (transportation, shipping, etc.).
So, most sources of salt will have some amount of trade offs if you choose to use it. That is something I personally am comfortable with.
Flour
Local Whole Wheat Flour
Many urban locations in the U.S. are still closely located to fields growing wheat. By exploiting Craigslist it is usually pretty easy to find local producers of flour. In the Eugene Oregon area there are a couple tiny producers of whole wheat flour, it just takes a little looking.
Many urban locations in the U.S. are still closely located to fields growing wheat. By exploiting Craigslist it is usually pretty easy to find local producers of flour. In the Eugene Oregon area there are a couple tiny producers of whole wheat flour, it just takes a little looking.
Sugar
Just about every sugar available to consumers in the U.S. has been transported quite a ways. But due to efficiencies in production of sugar from sugar cane, the overall impact compared to other kinds of sugar probably aren't that terrible.White/Brown/Raw Sugar
Unless you live near a place growing sugar cane or sugar beets, refined sugar just isn't going to be local.
Unless you live near a place growing sugar cane or sugar beets, refined sugar just isn't going to be local.
Fruit Purees
Obviously you can sweeten things up with fresh, ripe fruit. The drawbacks are pretty obvious though--I won't be adding strawberries to my morning coffee any time soon :)
Obviously you can sweeten things up with fresh, ripe fruit. The drawbacks are pretty obvious though--I won't be adding strawberries to my morning coffee any time soon :)
Caffeinated Beverages
Coffee, tea, soda pop, and other beverages are staples in many peoples daily routine. They certainly are part of mine, and we've yet to come up with a suitable substitution that can be sourced locally.
Oils, Mayonnaise, Dressings
Except for butter fat, sourcing locally produced oils are a challenge. Many people love olive oil, grapeseed oil, and others, but most of the extraction of oil has been fairly centralized in the U.S.
Concluding Thoughts
Nothing we can't overcome, but there are still going to be challenges. A single week on this kind of diet shouldn't be too hard, but what about a deeper commitment? That would be difficult, but I think it's something we can do--or at least learn a few things during the journey.
