I had heard it was happening. About 6 weeks ago I began to read about the large increases in the price of wheat. I wish I was more on top of these things because USA Today had an article back in the fall that predicted the increase in wheat prices. It seems that while some are optomistic that these prices will receed in the near future many are convinced that this is a longer term problem.

Here is how this has impacted me personally. I order my grain and flour from a Mennonite bulk food store. I buy my flour and wheat berries in 50# bags. Back in December I paid $16.70 for a bag of Prairie Gold wheat berries and $15.00 for a bag of occident flour. I just placed another order this Friday. My Prairie Gold will be $33.25 for a 50# bag and my occident flour will be $37.15 for a 50# bag. Since we just got our tax return and wheat is important I took the plunge and ordered 100# of each.

If you wish to look into this further, I have found a few articles from major news papers that might get you started.

Rising Wheat Prices Have Far-reaching Significance

A Global Need for Grain That Farmers Can't Fill

In Price and Supply, Wheat Is the Unstable Staple

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It is January. There is snow on the ground in many northern state. Actually, it is 62 degrees here today, but that is HIGHLY abnormal for January. Soon, we will be back to 20 degree days and 10 degree nights.

If you are concerned about the food that you consume, and organic foods in the grocery store are beyond the stretch of your pocketbook, you might be interested in local eating. If you are concerned about the distance your food travels before it touches your hands, then you might be interested in eating foods grown in the area that you live. If you desire to support your local economy and farmers, you might be interested in buying local foods. No matter what your reasoning, many, many people are jumping on the eating local bandwagon. I hope the idea of local eating continues to grow as it has many benefits for our health and our economy.

That turns our attention back to the fact that it is January. Here in the north, my garden has been dormant for a good two months. I don't have cold frames or a green house, so they are not part of this equations. I am seriously considering a cold frame, but that is for another day.So, I am often asked, "How do you eat locally in the winter?" My answer is simple. PLANNING! Planning is the key to eating local in January.

I don't have a farm, and we do not grow our own meat. We use our tax return to purchase organic, grass-fed beef and organic pork from a local organic farm. They also sell organic chicken, but often these are not available. I am not sure what seems to be the problem with that. So, I have not had to buy meat anywhere else except for chicken.

For me vegetables and fruit are somewhat easier to obtain, but it does require planning and work. My fruits have all been procured from the local farmers' market as we do not have fruit trees on our property, YET! I have either canned or frozen strawberries, cherries, blueberries, peaches, pears, and apples. I serve one of these items at almost every dinner, and the frozen berries make great smoothies for breakfast. I apply a similar plan to vegetables. For veggies, I turn tomatoes into sauce, but you could also freeze some or roast and then freeze them. I make cucumbers into various types of pickles. I have get to purchase a pressure canner, so every other vegetable is frozen. I have had mixed results with this. I am still working on it. I keep potatoes, apples and squash in my garage and basement with good success.

So, if you desire to eat local all year long, you can start now. I see many seed catalogs coming in my mail every day...Blessings, Jennie

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I buy my flour, wheat berries, oats, evaporated cane juice and sucanat in bulk. Several years ago when I first started grinding my own wheat to make my own whole wheat bread, I started looking for a local, inexpensive resource of bulk food. It so happened that a friend of mine was also looking for the same thing. We started calling around. We asked everyone we knew for a source of whole wheat berries. After much talking, we were finally directed to a Mennonite run bulk food store. It was approximately an hour away from our houses. We were not detered. We started ordering from the bulk food store and then every couple of months we would drive out to pick up our order along with various incidentals such as spices, salt, aluminum-free baking powder, etc. This has been such a blessing to us. Then two years ago this month, a second bulk food store opened only 35 minutes away. If you are seeking a bulk food store near you, I would encourage you to start making your needs know. Many times in home schooling circles, people know a source and can point you in the right direction.

I took a drive out to the bulk food store today. It is such a pleasant shopping experience in comparision to the local grocery store, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club or even Aldi. The atmosphere in the store takes me back to those general stores that we have visited at various historic village sites. I know the proprietors. They know me. She even gives me the handwritten order because she knows I like to track the prices of the items. I truly wish I could do all my shopping this way. In addition, I am supporting a local business which is incredibly important to me. Even though my products might not be local, the business is, and I want that business to be there for a long time.

So, what did I buy today. Well, the list is long and the total is rather high, but I came home with:

Evaporated Cane Juice crystals~50#
Unbleached Occident flour~50#
Organic Quick Oats~50#
Organic Whole Wheat elbow noodles~10#
White rice~25#
Wheat Gluten
Yellow corn meal
Baking powder
Sea salt
Parsley flakes
Alum
Candied fruit (orange peel, citron, lemon peel, candied cherries)
Maple ham
Horseradish cheese (my personal favorite)

I am expecting that this will last me for many months. I don't expect to return until the spring. It is a thrill to be able to share this with you. I will be putting much of this into use tomorrow as I get down to business with Christmas baking. More on that later...

Jennie

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This morning my daughters, Natalie and Carolyn, joined me on our weekly trip to the local farmer's market. It is our hearts desire to eat as much local meat, dairy and produce as possible and to either eat it in season or preserve it. We did well with the strawberry season last month. I put up 11 quarts of whole frozen berries and made 3 pints of strawberry jam. We also ate about 10 quarts fresh. Now cherry season is upon us. This morning I purchased 8 quarts of sweet cherries. I made 4 quarts of them into canned cherries. We will eat the rest during the week. I also purchased 4 quarts of sour cherries to make jam, and if there are any leftovers, I may make a pie. For 12 quarts of cherries I paid $28. They were asking $4.00 a quart, so buying the large quantity was definitely the way to go. To round out our fruit supply we picked up a small number of apricots. Hot house tomatoes can also be found at the market, so I got a quart of them. I still have potatoes from the market, and I purchased local lettuce from the grocery store. We have one grocery store in town that does provide local produce when it is available. So, my produce purchases totalled approximately $35 for weekly eating and preserving.

If you desire to learn more about eating local I would encourage you to pick up a copy of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle  by Barbara Kingsolver from your local library. She shares her family's journey of eating locally for one year. She is a very witty writer, and her book was very engaging.

Soon we will be picking and eating from our own garden which is really starting to come along.

Blessings,
Jennie

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In case you have not yet heard now it seems that chickens may be contaminated with the same melamine that was found in the pet foods and in the pigs.

USNews and World Report Article

NoNAIS Article

This just renews my fervor to by local and to know where your food is coming from. BTW, I just got off the phone with the butcher. My half a pig should be on its way to me shortly. I picked all my cuts of meat. The bacon was fabulous.

Many blessings,
Jennie

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My friend, Cathy, from The Family Homestead, posted a link to the Eat Local Challenge. This challenge is a bit involved because it requires that you not only strive to eat as much local as possible, but that you do it within a particular budget. Apparently, in September the challege will be just to eat local without the budget restriction.

This has really challenged me to look around my community and see what I can get locally. It also challenged me to examine what is not possible to buy locally. Another site that I found very interesting is Locavores. The site has great guidelines for eating local.

Guidelines for Eating Well

If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic. This is one of the most readily available alternatives in the market and making this choice protects the environment and your body from harsh chemicals and hormones.

If not ORGANIC, then Family farm. When faced with Kraft or Cabot cheeses, Cabot, a dairy co-op in Vermont, is the better choice. Supporting family farms helps to keep food processing decisions out of the hands of corporate conglomeration.

If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business. Basics like coffee and bread make buying local difficult. Try a local coffee shop or bakery to keep your food dollar close to home.

If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Terroir, which means 'taste of the Earth'. Purchase foods famous for the region they are grown in and support the agriculture that produces your favorite non-local foods such as Brie cheese from Brie, France or parmesan cheese from Parma, Italy.

Even if I cannot get spices locally grown, I can support the local bulk food store and buy my spices there instead of Sam's Club. I also buy all my grain, pasta, and other baking items at the bulk food store.

So have you given any thought to supporting your local economy by purchasing your foods from local farms or locally run businesses? At least for me, it does require some serious contemplation. We have been walking down this road for a few years now, but I can see where we can continue to make changes.

Blessings,
Jennie

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Last summer we purchased half of a pig from a local organic farm. We have been enjoying the meat from this guy very much. The bacon is exceptional. He yielded us 2-10# hams, 5 roasts, 10 packages of pork chops, and spare ribs. There many have been other things as well, but I cannot remember that far back. I have taken the plunge and ordered a quarter of a cow. I was fortunate enough to get in on a current order, and we should be able to pick up our beef this week. I ordered another pig which will be ready at the end of May. 

I came across the web site Eat Wild today. It lists many organic farms in various states for those who are unable or chose not to raise their own meat, eggs and dairy. We fit into the unable catagory as we do not live in an area zoned for raising livestock nor do we have enough property. Buying local is a great way to sustain your local farmers and keep them in business for many years to come.

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I am in my learning curve right now with the grocery shopping. I am trying to shop every three months at Aldi, and so far I am on course for that part of the plan. My son's birthday party did me in a bit. I thought I had planned well, but there were a few last minute things I needed that left me with a grocery bill of $40. I also had not kept up on my bread making for the last week or so of the month. Well a stop at the store to get bread netted me another $26 bill. My total for March was $918. I also bought other items that I knew would last me 3 months like paper towels, napkins, olive oil, canola oil, etc.

I don't think I will know how successful this endeavor will be until June. I do know this. I am much more aware of what we use in our household. I am doing a much better job of tracking our usage of items. I just did my first shop for April over the weekend. My spending for this month has been $316. I am buying produce every other week as well as my milk. I plan for and use the most perishable veggies the first week and then save the more hardy veggies for the second week. Soon we will be planting our garden, and that will take care of most of our produce needs. Well, I still need my SEVEN FOOT fence to keep those pesty deer out and away from my prized veggies.

Blessings,
Jennie

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I did manage to make it out to Sam's on Sunday. My total was $225.32. That brings my grand total to $697. That should do me for the better part of three months. I will still need some dairy items, produce and possibly meat, but that really should take are of most of our pantry needs. These are the items that rounded out my trip:

Sirloin steak, split chicken breasts, stew beef, 4# butter, 4 quarts half and half, Goldfish, mini pretzels, Breath Right strips, tortilla chips for hubby, vinegar, maple syrup, 8 gallons of milk, string cheese, provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, red, yellow and orange bell peppers, pepperoni, yeast, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, honey, olive oil, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, 2 boxes of GoLean Crunch and frozen French bread pizza for my honey

As you can see, I did get some meat from Sam's. We bought a half a hog this past summer. I would also like to plan to do that again as we have enjoyed the meat from this guy emmensily. I am considering a quarter cow as well. We shall see how that goes. I typically also get my chickens from a local farm, but they have not had any recently. Of course, those are whole chickens. I do sometimes get boneless breast to make certain recipes.

We have an exciting day on our homestead today. I am getting a NEW DISHWASHER!!!! My dear, sweet husband ordered it for me last week. It arrived on Sunday morning, and the installers are coming today to put it in. It will be white. My old one is black. The old one came with the house when we bought it 18 months ago. It is about 14 years old. Last night when it was washing what will likely be its last load, it stopped midcycle a handful of times.

Other than that we just have to vacuum and dust upstairs this morning and do some school work.

Many blessings,

Jennie

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I decided that I couldn't quite swing doing a total 3 month grocery shopping trip, so I did a modified one. Friday night, my oldest daughter and I went to Aldi. This is where I did actually shop for 3 months. It took us 2 carts and cost me $226.

Here is what we got:

Browine mix, cake mix, jello, chocolate chips, cooking spray, frosting, a few boxed cereals, American cheese, jelly, mayonnaise, garlic(in the jar), mustard, coffee (6 cans), snack crackers, honey grahams, sour cream, cream cheese, spring water, pop (for kids birthday parties), frozen ravioli, frozen juice concentrate (23 cans), tuna, pappermint hard candy, freezer bags, aluminum foil, sandwich bags, cereal bars, peanuts, snacks for children's birthdays and pudding mix.

All of this has found a home on my pantry shelves in the basement. Yesterday we went to the local grocery store. I bought some items that should last me 3 months and other items that will only last me one month. I spent $246 and needed 2 carts again. My oldest daughter came with again to help. She is a terrific shopping assistant.

Here is what we bought there:

Canola oil, baking cups, kosher salt, canned lentils and beans, dry lentils and beans, tea, coffee flavorings, ketchup, deli meat, a few more frozen juice concentrates, facial tissues, paper towels, napkins and toilet paper, pasta, rice, dishwasher detergent, Fels Napha, washing soda, chicken broth, beef broth, vitamin C, multivitamins, Echinacea, red raspberry leaves, eggs, grapes, romaine, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, orange juice, hair conditioner, and for a treat ice cream.

I still need to go to Sam's Club. I am thinking that I might try to squeeze this in between church and a birthday party today. Tomorrow's weather is looking a bit dicey. I just couldn't bring myself to do all this shopping in one day. It has been nice to spread it out over three days. None of these stores are very far from my house (10-15 minutes), so it doesn't bother me to make 3 trips. I will post my totals again when I finish my trip to Sam's and hopefully I can get a picture of all this in my basement at some point.

Many blessings,

Jennie

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