Dig in Challenge, Month One

Also, why this is easier than I thought, and much more fun too.

 The Challenge

• Shift at least $10 of my grocery money each week towards local food,
• Try at least two new Dig In activities each month,
• Attend Dig In workshops and log my activities to be entered to win great prizes (optional).

The first point is probably the simplest to achieve. I bought a share in CSA  (community supported agriculture) recently with Aagaard Farms. Since I don’t get out to my mom and dad’s farm quite as often as my produce requirements require week to week, this is a reasonably affordable way to shift my grocery budget to something local and closer to home.

I also buy eggs from them on their farms about $3.00 a week’s worth and I like to make the trip out to see the goats, dogs and kitties. I love the eggs, but I’ll always think chickens taste much better than they look running around. There’s something absolutely prehistoric and creepy about them. (Then again, I have fowl/duck issues. Phobias are really interesting to study by the way.)

Then, there’s Loveday Mushrooms - which are readily available in every grocery store I’ve every shopped at in Manitoba. Also, they’re from Manitboa. We eat about $7.00 a week in Mushrooms right now.

 As for trying two new activities a month, I’ve decided that one a week would be more fun, and give me an excuse to try to write once a week as well. I’ll try to keep that content a little more locally based but the dig in challenge can really be done wherever you are. I don’t think it matters where in the world you live, supporting your local economy is important.

Here’s my plan for the month of May

1. Try making these: with Aagaard Farms eggs of course, and probably with soy instead of almond milk. I’ve also got some fresh frozen berries and homemade strawberry jam to go with them.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes from: In her Chucks

2. Try a recipe from one of the local cook books I already own. I’ve got one that I designed the cover for last year, as well as a few that I’ve been given as Christmas Presents over the past few years.

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I also think cookbooks are fun just to read, but I’m weird.

3. Eat at a restaurant that serves local food. Tastees here in Brandon has local bison, and Kuipers bakes all their own bread. They’re both locally owned and operated. I also like bread that doesn’t have sulphites in it. This is also why I tend to make my own biscuits when I want bread rather than buy it at all.

4. Put in herb container garden. That’s something I did last year, and this year plan to do it with more variety. All my herbs lasted through the winter for the most part. (I ran out late last week.) This year I’ll just have to plant a little more to last a little longer.

I’d also like to find a local source for maple or berry syrups. Then again, I might just go to a u-pick and make my own.

So, those are my plans. and you should tell me what you think, or what your plans are.

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