Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Book by Barbara Kingsolver

I've just read an awesome book by Barbara Kingsolver and her family called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It's a collection of essays written by her and her family about their year of eating locally. They spent 1 year buying and eating locally grown food - feela (only)!. They grew most of their own vegetables and raised a lot of their own meat. It was inspiring to read about their experience and challenges and it impacted me much more, as I'm here in Africa, having a somewhat similar experience. While I'm in my village all the vegetables I eat have come from my garden (or a neighbors). Most of the meat I have eaten in village was once running around the yard, grunting baaing or clucking at my window. Most of the eggs I eat were plopped on the grass by the chickens.
This book really made me reflect on my own food purchases (especially if/when I head back to America next year) just thinking about how much fuel and energy went into transporting the food that you get at the grocery store. Although it's hard to find bananas & oranges in the Pacific Northwest, you can buy most vegetables and many fruits locally during the spring/summer/fall months. For folks back in the states, most farmers markets have started up again please support your local farmers! At the farmers markets you can buy food that was grown very close (saving on fossil fuels), probably organic (not pumped with steroids and chemicals) and supports your local economy. Vegetables that are grown in the soil near your home are more nutritious and farmers markets are really fun.
I encourage everyone to read this book, regardless of where you live or if you have a garden. It will make you think about your food purchases more, maybe inspire you to have a small garden and more conscious about the food you purchase and eat. It also has some great recipes, and will make you laugh at their stories.
I could go on forever about how Lesotho and having my own huge amazing garden has changed my views on food security and physical and mental health but I'll cut it short. Please check out this book at your local library, or buy it and pass it along to friends!