Soil Bandit!

     It's true that I have been somewhat sheepish about this project. I am not advertising the changes in my kitchen for many reasons. Firstly, people are sensitive about food, it's nearly impossible to talk about eating local without making people uncomfortable, as if their food isn't as good as the food I've chosen. Secondly, my kitchen is the heart of my home, and I don't bear my heart to just anyone. Lastly, this is an experiment, I am exploring and I didn't want to be hindered by blustering and unfounded criticisms.


    I "outed" my local eating inadvertently during a conversation with a friend yesterday. A friend with whom I rarely discuss matters of personal politics, as he is the greatest nay-sayer of all time. It happened sort of like this:


Him: "You can pick it up when you are at Costco this week getting stuff for the family reunion"
Me: "I won't be at Costco, I'm not buying much there anymore"
Him: "Oh come on!"
Me: "Yeah, I've been trying to eat local this summer"
Him: "I hope you're not eating the food from around here? All the pollution from the old smelters, the soil is contaminated... 




      I expected the criticism, the dismissal, even the scoffing. But he surprised me, I have never, not once, even considered that the soil on my property or the adjacent farms could be contaminated. I had really never considered the argument that some places would be too polluted to grow edible food. But then I realized if I wanted to know more about my soil I could find out- another bonus of eating local.
      
      If I am curious about my soil, I walk into the back yard, get a sample and send it away for testing, for the greater area I consult the Sudbury Soil Study or ask the farmer who grew the food about how he/she maintains his/her soil.  Hell, if I thought the farmer was trying to deceive me, I could sneak over to their yard like a soil bandit, steal a sample and have it tested myself- not that I would, but I could. 
     
       Who can I ask about the soil in South Africa, California or even Niagara Falls? I think I'll take my chances on local soil. 


Here's my first tomato of the season grown in beautiful Blezard Valley soil.

Shannon D.