There's eating locally, and then there's eating locally – we're talking the 100-mile diet, an extreme challenge to the way most of us are used to eating. The 100-mile diet has become a trend of sorts, but it stems from an enlightened idea, that the way we eat can impact the way food is produced, consumed, and shared. A husband and wife team were the first to dig into the idea and blow it up on a major scale in Canada, by spending a year eating from within a 100-mile radius of where they lived, living to tell the tale, and writing about it.

Alissa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon began their journey of eating locally in 2005. These two wowed us with their dedication and strict enforcement of the diet, making a big switch that we admire. For a year, all they ate was grown locally in season or preserved at peak, and was cooked from scratch. They admit on their website that the diet was a process of learning by doing, getting to know the seasons and understanding where our food comes from. We began to wonder ourselves: how have we gotten to a point where it’s acceptable to eat apples tasting like cardboard and cakes made with chemicals? Sure, it takes a bit of extra time to find what we need, but with a little planning, eating locally can be a healthy reality.

Watch Alisa and J.B. in a series of webisodes on the Food Network's new TV show channel, The 100-Mile Challenge. Here, they introduce a family who is using just one Thanksgiving meal to try out the 100-mile diet.

"Doing the diet the hard way taught us a lot about the current food system, but it isn’t for everybody. A more realistic approach is to plan a single, totally 100-mile meal with friends or family, and see where you want to go from there."
– Alissa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon on 100milediet.org

Tips on getting started:

1. Start small – Though these two went “cold turkey” on imported foods, it is possible to start with a one-week commitment, a single day, or even a single meal. It helps to partner up.

2. There are no rules – Make it a challenge, but also allow flexibility over the longer term to be able to enjoy certain foods that would otherwise be totally eliminated (for example, coffee).

3. Surf the Internet – There are most likely resources specific to your area that can help you find the foods you need to eat, including listings of local farms, farmers’ markets, and community gardens.

4. Find your farmers market – Eating from the market is fun, cheap, and takes the work out of finding local food in season. Farmers’ Markets Canada lists links to websites to help you find your local market.

5. Find your farmers – Consider joining a Community Supported Agriculture box to support a specific farm by purchasing shares of what they produce. Planet Friendly can help you find a CSA near you!

6. Start a garden – Even if it’s itty bitty, you’d be amazed at what can grow in your own backyard. Here’s a handy guide from Montreal’s Rooftop Gardens Project.

Plan a winter garden – The couple keeps garlic, kale, mustard greens, turnips, cabbage, spinach, and Swiss chard, all through the winter, using a greenhouse.

7. Buy in bulk and preserve – Canning and jarring summertime fruits and veggies can be lots of fun. Throw a party with some of your friends!

8. Join the movement – pledge to take the 100-mile challenge, and find the resources to help you – here!

For more information on the 100-Mile Diet, visit their website.
To learn more about the Food Network series featuring six families attempting the 100-mile challenge, visit this site.

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