ByExample

This article hits on a lot of good points when looking to eat sustainably. We began the transition to organic and local foods a few years ago. To afford the organic diet, we purchase dried staples in bulk. Rice, beans, flour, sugar all come in 25 to 50 pound bags. We repack the bulk good into half gallon mason jars for long lasting storage. I have considered that new glass jars are not all that sustainable and it led me to look into food storage methods that were used locally...before tupperware and freezers. Dried vegetables from the garden were not canned for winter use, but rather stored in sacks or hung from the ceiling, staying fresh enough to use until the next harvest came in. Also despite being in the desert, ice blocks were made in the winter and formed into ice houses -- that would last into the fall!! To satisfy our desire to eat more sustainably we've begun our own garden and now we eat mostly home grown veggies. We also have eggs and meat from our livestock. It is a lot of work to create and manage a homestead farm, garden and kitchen, but it is well worth the effort. Even with all the farm expenses our food budget is surprisingly modest.