For 30 days (mostly) I have photographed local food items. We had lots of laughs creating the photos and loved the emails and comments, but what I really received out of it is so much more.

When Our Big Earth started the 30 days of Eating Local Challenge I was excited, I thought it was such a fantastic way to highlight some of our hard working, very notable food producers. I didn't realize though, that as a family, it would be so meaningful to us.

John and I decided that we would do our best for the month to eat local, something we do pretty often anyhow. As a local business myself, it is a given that we welcomed the support from Our Big Earth in increasing the amount of money we spend locally as compared to on imported products.

What struck us however, quickly after we jumped on the challege, was how it feels to eat local.

We eat well in our house, I am the cook (mostly, unless it is eggs, see previous posts for the goods on eggs and our family) and feeding my family well is in my genes. The feeling of serving them freshly prepared food gives me great satisfaction and like many, is one of the ways I show my love (and it gets me out of doing the dreaded dishes.)

Having food to work with, such as chicken, bison, sausages, local veggies and more, all that was prepared locally with love, just adds to it. More love people.

We do talk to the children about appreciating their food and what we have found is if they connect to their food source, they FEEL the appreciation.

A chicken from TeeDeeKay versus a can of soup. They feel different.

Meanwhile John and I are both reading the Omnivors Dilemma, which is a facinating look at large food production and as a result of some interesting dinner table converations the kids are becoming more aware of the health benefits of eating local.

Thank you Our Big Earth, what a meaninful project you have taken on .

No photo today as I am sitting in a lovely hotel room in Ucluelet. Guess what? We had to turn the heat on - crazy isn't it!  Comox folks, can you believe I am wearing a sweater and I am only 3 hours away.