I am reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle, a nonfiction book about living and eating locally and seasonally. She includes many facts about how far our food travels before we see it in the grocery store, and the subsequent cost in labor, fuel, flavor, and of course money, is involved in having all fruits and vegetables available 365 days/year.
I have gardened and plan to do some more gardening in the future. I come from a long line of home gardeners, and some of my best food memories are the homegrown tomatoes and corn we ate every summer.
Until I get my urban garden underway, I am going to explore the local farmers' markets and learn more about where my food comes from. Since I prefer to cook and eat at home, this will give me a chance to refine my cooking skills and try new recipes.
An advantage I have living in SE Texas, is we have such a long growing season, and so much commercial food is grown in the Rio Grande Valley, less than 400 miles away. In fact, in just a month or two, I need to plant tomatoes, so they have time to grow and set fruit before the nights become too hot. My parents, who live in the north central Great Plains, usually can't get plants into the ground until late May without a greenhouse to protect against late frosts and snowstorms.
