A culinary online center dedicated to promoting the importance and the joy of American home cooking with an emphasis on local products and talent, celebrating the unique spirit and energy of the new food world ethos, especially in Vermont.

amuse bouche

I love quotes that add meaning to my life. Here are a few to live by:

Americans who have been to France and come home craving a reminder of their magical European experience, love Vermont cheeses.
—Allison Hooper, founder, VT Butter & Cheese Creamery

Practice not cleaning your plate: it will help you eat less in short term and develop self-control in the long term.
—Michael Pollan

Sweet taste buds develop before all others, that’s why small children love sweets.
—Bronwyn Dunne

Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of milk.
—Michael Pollan

My rule of thumb is, when in doubt, cook more than you think you may need.
—Marian Cunningham, from Learning to Cook

Is Localizing America’s Food System Possible?

A recent University of California, Merced study by J. Elliott Campbell and Andrew Zumkehr found that local food has the potential to meet 90% of the national food demand. Their study examined every acre of active farmland in the United States to calculate the potential of feeding a balanced diet to people living within a 100-mile radius. This meant reimaging how each acre of farmland was used, and converting the land used to grow corn and soybeans into land used to grow vegetables. On average, 90% of Americans’ food needs could be sourced locally; however, there are some cities, such as New York City that can only access 30% of its food from local sources. To actually put Campbell and Zumkehr’s study into practice would not be easy. In fact, it would require a complete overhaul to our economic system and agricultural policy. However, the study illustrates the potential of American farmland to theoretically feed a majority of citizens locally. In addition, it opens the conversation about rethinking land use altogether—imagine how much food could be produced locally if we converted asphalt, brown fields, and lawns into vegetable gardens! Read Dan Nosowitz’s great synopsis of the study HERE, and access the full study HERE to learn more.

Posted: 6-22-2015

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