Coming attractions...

THE COWLITZ FARMER'S MARKET OPENS FOR THE SEASON TOMORROW!

I'm turning cartwheels because I signed up for a CSA and my first delivery of fresh local goodies is tomorrow. (Please understand that these are strictly metaphorical, imaginary cartwheels, the kind of cartwheels that can be expressed by all capital letters, bold, italic, and a single restrained exclamation point.)

Here's what I'm hoping to cover (with photos and interviews) in the near future:

--The real benefits of buying local...and cooking at home. For now, see Locavores, the 100-mile Diet, the Eat Local Challenge, and our local branch of Slow Food.

--Some of my truly local sources of food--vendors at the farmer's market, a CSA, local eggs and beef.

--A look at Guse's coffee

--Posts on sustainable agriculture and fair trade.

What I'm hoping for in the more distant future:

--A Google map showing a 100-mile circle "food web" with its center in Longview/Kelso

--Posts on local buying trips to exotic locales...across the river for goat milk...a loop to the coast, north and back again for cheese...cranberries...bison...Seriously, I don't get out of Longview much, so this would be an adventure. An expensive adventure, which is why it is in the distant future.

--Notes on the progress of my own plots in the community garden

--Notes on food preservation

--Links to other sources of information