Nowadays when people say they want to “live off the grid,” I think it’s safe to say they are referring to the energy grid – i.e. fossil fuels, ”public” utilities, etc. As someone who does not own a home, I think the possibility of living off of the energy grid is slim. As a tenant, I have little control over where my water, electricity or gas comes from. I could attempt to persuade my landlord to pursue alternative energy sources, but realistically I cannot rely on the environmental consciousness of my landlord to live by these ideals. That said, I do think it’s possible to live off the “food grid.” This is one of my goals as a “food activist” (or wannabe activist) and this evening I found another means to this end.
Why live off the ‘food grid?’ you may ask. Without going into another rampant tirade on the pitfalls of industrial agriculture, let me try to keep the answer simple.
I care about my health and the health of my friends and family. I care about the earth and the numerous ecosystems that inhabit the multiple corners of this planet. I care about the community I live in and the work that employs the members of this micro and macro setting. I do believe that sustainable food production is possible, but within the confines of our capitalist economy these systems are limited. For example, if profit is the end goal then what the animal eats and how the animal lives is not important. I guess I’m less interested in profit and more focused on health – for the individual and family, for the environment and for the community at large. What can we do do improve the health of these different settings? As you might imagine, I think living off the food grid is a step in the right direction. As capitalism requires, demand influences supply. If the food movement demands the farmers will supply. It’s happening across the country, but more needs to be done.
When I think about food in my home I consider 4 main categories – meat, dairy, grain and produce. If I want to live off the ‘food grid’ then these are the categories to consider. Our main protein and fat source comes from the meat; and the meat comes directly from the farm, Afton field farm to be exact. Once a month the meat is dropped off at someone’s home and I pick it up and throw it in the freezer for the month. We get farm fresh eggs (the best I’ve ever had), chicken, lamb and beef. We spend 80$ for the whole month on meat and eggs, and to be honest that’s more than we need. But I like having extra quantities so that we can host friends and feed them wholesome food too.
As of this evening I found a great source for dairy (milk, yogurt, butter and cheese.) The Noris Dairy not only sells organic dairy products that are not homonogized, but they also deliver directly to your door! We are talking about old school milk – glass jars filled with rich milk, even chocolate milk, as well as other products. They deliver to your door and you leave a cooler for them. The following week you leave out the empty bottles and they bring you more milk. I love it! This is what I have wanted for some time. New Seasons, the local grocery store that everyone loves, does not have locally sourced milk. They sell similar milk (organic and non-homonogized) but it’s from California. Why buy milk from California if you can get it from Oregon, from less than 50 miles away no less?! And it’s important to note that the cows that produce this milk are fed grass, they roam all day on open pastures, and they are treated kindly by their farmers. Thus, this rich, creamy, fatty milk is actually healthy!
Once we plan out our dairy consumption with this farm, we are left with grain and produce. Grain, unlike everything else, requires me to look beyond the confines of a local (100-mile) food system. I can honestly say I don’t know all of the grains grown in the Northwest, but I’m fairly certain the ones I like or want are not local. And as someone who is gluten-free I am especially unlucky. For those of you who do not share this awful food allergy, you do have a local source of grain! Check out Bluebird Grain Farm. They even have a grain CSA. I would be there in an instant if my stomach did not have such adverse reactions to wheat. To eat grains and live off the food grid, I will have to buy grains in bulk so that my frequency to the bulk food item section is minimal. This decision is underway. Basically I have to discuss with my wife what bulk items we want in large quantities. Personally, I think we ought to get brown rice, cornmeal, polenta, black beans (and maybe other beans), oats, white flour (for my wife) and nuts (which are obviously not a grain.) Instead of limiting this category to grains, let’s just say “bulk food items.” That is a broader category that encompasses more of the items I am considering.
The last concern is produce. I can tell you that we are totally set for hearty greens this winter. We have a crazy amount of kale and chard. I mentioned in a previous post the idea of buying some bulk storage produce, i.e. potatoes, onions, beets, carrots and some winter squash. If we go the seasonal route we can buy at the farmers market. In Portland there is one year-round market I know of – People’s Food Coop Farmers Market - and this may fulfill that need for “February produce” (is that an oxymoron?)
This is an ongoing project and if I am successful, then all of our food will come directly from local farmers and each item will be seasonal (except for things we froze or canned.) The only items that will not meet the standards are oils, vinegars, sugar, spices, and gluten-free flours.
If we eat off the ‘food grid’ we will be healthier for it. We will act with our fork and not just our vote. We will impact others and live by our ideals. And of course, we won’t support the evil and destructive industrial food industries! 
Related posts:
- Grocery-free Living
- Good-Bye Grocery Store (part 1)
- A Failed Experiment
- Local Food Movement Gains Serious Support
- Food Subsidies – Our Biggest Threat
Tags: Bulk purchase, CSA, dairy, Food Politics, Grass-Fed, local food movement, Nutrition, seasonal eating