Wisdom from the Wedge

On that theory that a rising tide floats all boats (to which I subscribe), I’d like to point you to a new food blog, Eat Local Challenge, which is sponsored by the Wedge Natural Foods Co-op. The point of this new site is to encourage people to get at least 80% of their food from local/regional producers, growers, and farmers. Eat Local defines “regional” as Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Dakotas, and it includes content from Twin Cities luminaries such as Lenny Russo, chef/owner of Heartland, a restaurant dedicated to sustainable gourmet cooking; Elizabeth Archerd, education director at the Wedge; and Beth Dooley, co-author of Lucia Watson’s Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland.

Now, as a dedicated wine and coffee drinker who’s wild about Alaskan salmon and a deep-sea fish called John Dory, I sympathize with those who might have difficulty making the pledge. But eating mostly locally is — like calling a moratorium on all those plastic bottles of French spring water — the right thing to do, for the economy and for the earth. Even sometimes, even halfway, even just as much as you can. And if you’re not into grilling pork or making blueberry cobbler, Eat Local provides a handy list of restaurants like Cafe Brenda and Restaurant Alma that can help you out with exquisite, local fare. Check it out.