[News] Michelle Obama To Author A Book on Local Eating, what whaaaat?

Cardigan-Gardening: I Can Get Behind That

One more reason to adore MObama: She's writing a book about local eating and the White House garden. Way to bring it on home, Michelle! The book will be published by Crown, a division of Random House and Barack is even planning on writing a sidebar or two (no, I have no idea what he's going to write in it, but there's word that he will help out).

Read the article at The Washington Post.

Photos via Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty, Win McNamee/Getty

[Food + Drink Wednesdays] Weekly Produce News Bites from Draeger's

These are from Peru, which is kiiiinda far.

Is it wrong that this reads like fine poetry to me?

It's also a shame that there is no RSS feed for the Draeger's Produce News Bites because I want daily updates on the quality and sourcing of my produce. No joke. Also, you've just gotta love the funny descriptions and puns that sometimes slip in.

I also love the Fruit of the Month postings.

Yes, there is officially something wrong with me.

[Green Thursdays] Now You Have No Excuse Not to Eat Local

So I don't know how this works in other parts of the world, but I know that America is finally getting their stuff together and catching up with places like New Zealand with the Buy Fresh, Buy Local initiative.

I actually discovered my area's Buy Fresh, Buy Local Guide by accident. I was at the library a few days ago, doing my thang, stocking up on poetry anthologies and cookbooks, when I passed a stack of catalogs with some delicious looking green vegetables on their covers (I'm pretty sure it was kale, which made me really hungry). It turns out, these catalogs are the Bay Area Buy Fresh, Buy Local Guides. Inside, the guides contain articles on sustainable eating, lists of sustainable restaurants and grocery stores and growers. To a food junkie like me, this was heaven. These guides are put out by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, and there's a guide for every major area in California and in other states as well. Finally, America is finding ways to make it easier to eat better. The regional websites (you can get to California's if you click that link over there) are particularly helpful for the conscious grocery shopper.

Here's a few to get you started:
www.buylocalpa.org
www.buylocalvirginia.org
www.buyfreshbuylocalcr.org
www.buylocalnebraska.org
www.iowafreshfood.com
www.buylocalny.org
www.bfblsd.org
www.buylocalca.org

And here are my favorite fall fruits from the farmer's market down the street (actually, the persimmon is from a friend at the office).