the 100 mile diet(challenge)

[wareagle69]

this is something that i am going to try, now look at the world today,see how easy it is to disrupt the food chain,if quaratines happen how is our food to be delivered. now for me i can find shelter anywhere, but i look at what i do 4 to 6 times a day(other than nap at work) and that is eat. i am working on another topic directly involved with this, but back to the main question. how do you get your food. yes a certain amount of storage will help, but for how long? can you survie on what you can get locally, yes grow your own in the growing season, but what about bread or milk, something we all eat everyday and will use up fast, what about beef, not everyone has the luxory of going out the back door and harvesting a rabbit or deer, or even the knowledge of what to do after the kill to be able to eat your kill. so how about tailoring your diet to what you can get locally?anyone thought of this or do this?

[mountain mama]

Of course there is stuff in my diet that would have to go if shipment lines were cut, but for the most part, I could make do with local foods. There is plenty of cattle, chickens, pork, fish, grains, veggies, etc here in Idaho. As for bread, learn to bake. Learn to skin that rabbit...Those that aren't prepared, won't survive.

[wareagle69]

what about dairy? so many folks consume this.
ok so you've done an inventory of you edibles around you, but....is your body used to this diet, you of all folks should know what stress does to the body. i figure folks would want to minimize this during hard times and have already trained thier systems to tolerate local foods, makes you more effective in the long run. really hard to hunt and do hard labor when you have the trots and are dehydrated and lack of energy

[mountain mama]

I do eat the local foods already. Unfortunately, twinkies and chocolate are not locally produced, so I would have to go without those...
Cattle=dairy (inlaws have a cattle ranch)..they also raise sheep and the occasional pig
Fish...the creek is one of the best places in the country for fly fishing...even in my local neighborhood there is a small pond with loads of catfish
Fruits...my neighbor has a peach tree, I have cherry and plum, my MIL has plum, orange, and apple, my SIL has blackberry bushes, and huckleberries are abundant all over the state.
Veggies...this is spud country, so potatoes abound. I have dandelions in my yard at this moment (and yes, I do make use of them in my diet).
I have no intentions of going hungry, but if push comes to shove, I'll eat darn near anything.

[wareagle69]

no eggs, no dairy at all? good for you but i quite enjoy these things, and i have all this w/in 5 miles of me

mt mama have you ever thought about jerusalam artichokes? more prolific than taters(i know blasphem in your area) but they grow on thier own and like crazy and are good any time of the year and dare i say more healthy than taters

[mountain mama]

WE, I am originally from Texas...therefore, I do not consider Jerusalem Artichokes to be blasphemous. However, I have never seen them grown in this state and am not sure how they would do in this climate. Need to look into getting a starter or seed and see for myself, I guess.

[wareagle69]

they will grow well mt mama, we have them here and i am including them this year instead of tatoes

[mountain mama]

Thanks for the info, WE. I am about to order some tubers now. Never done these before, but looking forward to the challenge.

[wareagle69]

i have ready quite a bit on these from readers digest and such also backwoodshome magazine, let me know how it works for you and i will do the same

[Badawg]

Forget food... What about Coffee???

[aflineman]

Forget food... What about Coffee???

This would be my downfall. There are local substitutes available, but I keep a stock of Java just in case I have to ween myself off of it. (Well, that and I tend to stock-up when it is on sale).

[Rick]

Actually, I dug up about a quart of dandelion root this afternoon and cleaned it (that's a LOT of dandelions by the way). Grind them, roast them and use as coffee.

What kind of food disruption are you anticipating, WE, or just anything in general?

There have been some very recent events that we can look to for food disruption. Most of Europe to one extent or another during WWII. Native Americans during forced relocation. Most notably the Trail of Tears but there are LOTs of others. POWs certainly. The bottom line is people eat unbelievable things. Leather, sawdust, etc. They also die. Food disruption now, here, would be no different.

[red lake]

Would be tough where I am. Nothing but game. If this was to work I would need radically alter my diet and start eating spruce needles and labrador tea.

Lots of fish and bear and beaver and moose but no veggies.

I gave up milk as well. I think it's harmful affects far outweigh any benefits from it.