Last year was so much fun, we’re going to try it again! 

Our 100-mile potluck is a celebration of local foods.  It’s a feast and a treasure hunt all in one.  Because … we try to bring food from within a 100 mile radius of our homes or the meeting site.  

Why eat locally?  By eating locally we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support local economies, eat fresher food, have a greater likelihood of varietal diversity, experience personal connections … Read more about it at 10 Reasons to Eat Local Food.

Eating locally might be as easy as harvesting homegrown peaches or making lemonade from your backyard tree.  It might mean your first-ever exploration of our local Farmer’s Market.  It might mean pausing to consider the labels at your local healthy-food store.  It will definitely mean taking a different look at the experience of acquiring, preparing and eating food.  

Additionally, we ask that you don’t bring disposable items.  Please bring reuseable dishes, napkins, utensils for your party, so that we can make this a Zero-Waste / Low Impact event.

Why reuseable dishes?  Doesn’t that use a lot of water?  Washing dishes does indeed use some water.  Water-wise handwashing can use a scant few gallons.  But the manufacturing process for making those endless piles of disposables uses a lot of water, too.  White paper goods are bleached, a serious hazard to human and environmental health.  Paper goods add to landfills;  the plastic and styrofoam versions will likely remain intact in those landfills long after our grandchildren have passed on.  All those disposables are (repeatedly, because we use lots of them) transported, using fossil fuels, producing pollution, greenhouse gas emissions.  Even more significantly, using disposable items perpetuates the myth that a use-it-once approach to our earth’s resources is okay.  At this event, we will encourage each other to experience the beauty of Reuse.  Read more about it at Dispense with Disposables.

Learn more about The 100 Mile Diet

A few tips from the Eat Local Challenge

You can enter your zip code and get stores, markets, restaurants within 100 miles of your home.

THE PLEDGE OF THE LOCAVORE:
If not FROM BACKYARD then locally produced.
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.

The Westchester Farmer’s Market is Wednesday mornings, 8:30am to 1pm, in Westchester Park (near the library).  Official directions are: Lincoln Blvd & La Tijera Across from Otis College.  … While some local markets sell restaurant food, crafts and clothing, our Westchester market is a special treasure with LOTS of fruit and vegetable vendors, and a very high percentage of organic stands.  Please support them throughout the year to keep this wonderful resource in our neighborhood! 

Other California farmers markets can be located through the search here http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/search/

We look forward to celebrating our local bounty this year on Thurs. Aug. 23 at the meeting of the Environmental Change-Makers www.EnviroChangeMakers.org