Green Daily

For Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, it all began at their off-the-grid vacation cabin in northern British Columbia. They had to whip up a dinner for unexpected guests and all they had was "one moldering cabbage." A bit of fishing and foraging brought in char mushrooms, apples, garlic, potatoes and more. It was a truly great local feast and they wondered: Could we do this every day?

Well, the Vancouver couple tried it for a year, from March 2005 to March 2006. Their experiment to "explore, and explore deeply, the idea of local eating," had one basic and ironclad rule: Every ingredient in every product they bought had to come from within 100 miles of their apartment. The 100-mile diet was born.

Their book, 'Plenty: One Man, One Woman and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally,' is compelling, honest and fun. They eat lots and lots of potatoes and have to go without many items, including wheat, beer, tea, hot chocolate, cooking oil and more. Because they live in Vancouver, they can get some local seafood – although much of what's for sale is from much farther than 100 miles.

Why keep to a 100-mile limit? Because in North America, food travels an average of 1,500 to 3,000 miles before we buy it and eat it. All of this transport uses up huge amounts of oil and creates pollution. It's an energy-inefficient "SUV diet." The authors' underlying question is: Do we have to live this way?

The answer is a resounding "no," and it's an enjoyable journey. Each chapter recounts one month and includes a seasonal recipe. The authors alternate writing chapters, which is a neat way to get both sides of the story and see the dynamics of their relationship. It is a most excellent adventure – well written and real. They have their ups and downs and life sometimes gets in the way, but by eating locally they connect with their region and their community. They set a great example for us urban and suburban types -- now if I can just get to the farmer's market more often!

The book began as a blog on a British Columbia Web site and it kick-started a "locavore" movement of eating locally. Now groups from coast to coast are going local for a month or more at a time. You can learn more about the authors and how to start your own 100-mile diet at their Web site, http://100milediet.org/home/.

If you've read the book, let me know what you thought of it. If you haven't read it yet, have I piqued your interest?