Just over 5 weeks ago, the three of us broke ground on our vegetable garden. We had been planning a springtime garden since last fall, partly because we knew that the bounty of the season would reward us greatly, and partly because it was far enough in the future for us to not feel rushed about learning how to do it.

Over these last few weeks, we have been completely captivated by the experience. Seeds went into the ground and within days life emerged, letting us know that food was on the way. Today, 39 days after that planting, we finally harvested our first batch of red radish. Their conspicuous bulbs had been teasing us all week, red balloons floating on a sea of rich soil.

Katerina was charged with the task of harvesting, and before long she had collected 21 radishes and was carefully wiping their dull pink surfaces to reveal their true, ruby color.

This is what freedom looks like… freedom from processed, canned and frozen foods; freedom from genetically modified organisms (GMOs); and freedom from the huge range of synthetic additives, preservatives, colorants, artificial sweeteners and trans-fats that find their way into most of the “food” found in American supermarkets. In short, freedom from the SAD (Standard American Diet).

For almost a year now, our family has enjoyed only fresh, seasonal, local and nutritious produce and animal products. While cutting down the food miles that our groceries traveled, we also regained control over the way we eat and the type of agriculture we wish to support. For the first time in our lives, we were able to liberate ourselves from the factory-farm economy that puts concerns for people, animal welfare, health and environment behind that of profit.

Have you found your freedom? We’d love to hear about it!

Katerina

When the green garlic gets older, it begins to form garlic cloves. This little garlic is a perfect example of what it starts to look like when it gets bigger.

From: Tom and Maxine Yunker

David and Lori Crank

Our family wanted to personally welcome David and Lori Crank into the Bayou City Farmers’ Market. They will be a wonderful addition to the already diverse range of vendors that the market is known for. The Cranks will be selling their free range, pastured chicken, a product that we have favored since the beginning of our journey.

We have visited Oaks of Mamre Farm and left there with a total appreciation for their ethical practices. We wish them much success and look forward to seeing them around.

Enjoy the photo gallery of our visit.

Today people around the world celebrated Earth Day, a tradition established in 1970 in an effort to cultivate a greater awareness and respect for the Earth and our environment. Originally designed as a way to bring attention to the problems of overpopulation, it has evolved over the years to reflect a more comprehensive set of issues, including global warming, conservation and clean energy.

As the celebration has become more widespread, we’ve also seen a sharper focus on education about the everyday habits that people can adopt or modify to become more eco-friendly. Recycling has long been a prime example, but so have campaigns centered on energy use and water conservation.

We started 100 Mile Harvest out of a desire to radically cut the number of miles our food traveled. At the time, the locavore movement was starting to establish itself, popularized by books like Plenty by Alisa Smith and J.B. McKinnon, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. The idea of Slow Food was also reaching a larger audience, and we felt compelled to shake up our diet (and shake out our pantry).

What we’ve learned over the course of the last 11 months is that this decision has been less about that “momentous” turning point, and much more about the daily practice. Every day, at every meal, we have the opportunity to prepare wholesome, delicious food that we know is not only healthy, but was also produced in a sustainable manner. And we’ve learned not to take any of our food for granted; everything served at our table was carefully picked and lovingly prepared. We know exactly where our food comes from, and nothing goes to waste.

As you reflect on what Earth Day means to you, remember that daily actions don’t have to involve the city’s waste department or your local power company…it can be as simple as making a commitment to buying and eating local, seasonal food.

P.S. We stepped out of the supermarket and into the farmers’ market with more questions than answers. If you have questions or want to discuss your experiences, check out the Locavore Forums.

New Community Feature!

We are pleased to announce the launch of our Locavore Forums. Whether you have a question about living the Locavore lifestyle, want to discuss fitness or are looking to share/barter/trade something in “The Exchange,” you are invited to join in the discussion!

Participation in the forums requires FREE registration. Sign up now.

Today was the 113th running of the Boston Marathon, which provided a fascinating view of the top marathon runners in the world competing in a fast and furious race to win this prestigious event. Americans Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall both had tremendous 3rd place finishes – a feat that is remarkable given the sport’s recent dominance by a strong field of international stars. The marathon and its 23,000+ participants were an inspiration to so many, especially to those in training for our first marathon.

Adrian and I have started Week #5 of our marathon training program. We have gone from running a total of 15 miles in our first week to 20 miles on Week #4.  It has been an amazing experience for both of us. When we first started training, we couldn’t even imagine ourselves running more than 5 miles. It was a good thing that we had a sound running program to keep us motivated and on track.

By taking baby steps and working at maintaining our energy levels, we have been able to focus on each day’s tasks and set realistic goals for ourselves.

Nutrition has played a key role in our preparation. Having been on a local diet for almost a year, our bodies feel stronger and healthier than ever before. Eating nourishing food has helped with both performance and recovery. Even though we’ve found some of our workouts to very tough, we have noticed that our bodies are able to jump back very quickly. We’ve also learned that proper hydration is critical with the demands we are putting on ourselves.

We still have many weeks ahead of us, and the workouts will only get more grueling. However, we have seen that the mileage which seemed so daunting months ago is starting to look (and feel) more achievable each day. Sure, there will be joint pain and muscle soreness – all those little physical signs that remind us of our mortality – but with each training run we record in our log books, we are another step closer to our goal of completing our first marathon.

You can keep up with our fitness journal as we continue with our training: Adrian | Maggie

Last weekend, the Easter bunny made its rounds here in Sugar Land and left two little chicks at grandma’s house for Katerina to enjoy. She was entirely speechless the first few seconds after seeing them – her wishes had come true. For the longest time she has been asking us to buy her some chicks, but we stalled thinking of what the neighbors (and Homeowners’ Association) would say once the “cheep-cheep” became a mature ‘cluck-cluck”. Grandma on the other hand, heard about Katerina’s request and without hesitation, made her wishes a reality.

But like every fairy tale, there is always a catch and this one was no exception.

Grandma said, “Once the loving chicks grow into big chickens, you will have to find them another home.”

Not knowing what to say, she accepted her fate and spent the whole afternoon holding them gingerly and asking us all to stroke their heads and beaks. Her face was lit up with the joy that only children know how to radiate. I thought at that moment that I hope she doesn’t grow too attached to them, because as a mother, I do not want to see her heart broken.

For now, we will all enjoy her laughter and happiness, as she mothers a pair of cute chicks out of their adorable stage and into a lanky adolescence.