Eating Local

[RoadKingLarry]

I try to produce as much of my own food as possible and what I can't grow myself I try to get local.
Tonight's super was a locavores delight.
Pasta with meat sauce, fresh baked bread washed down with wine.

my ingredient list included the following

Pasta- Home made with whole wheat flour I milled from wheat I buy from a local farmer, eggs I buy from a local chicken rancher.
Bread- made with the same wheat as above
Sauce- The meat was pork sausage from the hog I had butchered in June the sauce was made from tomatoes and other veggies and herbs I grew n my garden and the wife canned.
Wine came from here http://oakhillswinery.com/ They are located less than 2 miles as the crow flies from my place. we had a bottle of Chambourcin with dinner but my favorite from them is their Catawba.

I'm stuffed, and a little buzzed from the wine.

[lupinus]

I like and prefer local, but the local food nazis are an annoying bunch.

While I prefer it, I'm far from anal about it.

[Lee]

Yes, I prefer home grown and/or local if possible...but couldn't help but think of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErRHJlE4PGI

[JonnyB]

Mrs. B and I frequently comment on this as we're eating. Tonight was an exception, as the only things local were the sweet corn and the tomatoes (from our garden) on our BLTs. We don't get bacon or ham cured when we buy pork from B-I-L; we have the hams cut into roasts and get lots of ground pork.

Very often, we'll have our own eggs and home-made bread, veggies from the garden or chicken we raised and butchered ourselves. Or rabbit. B-I-L lives ~20 miles from us, so even the purchased meat doesn't travel far.

We often think about grinding/milling our own flour but haven't yet. I suspect mills can be had on craig's list or ebay for cheap.

You, Larry, done good!

jb

[RoadKingLarry]

After quite a bit of research I bought one of these
http://www.grainmaker.com/
What is now listed as their model 99. Price has gone up quite a bit since I bought mine. The machine is an absolute tank, I don't see how anyone with half a brain could tear it up under normal use.
All I've use it for is grain, wheat, corn and rice so far. Wheat is pretty easy but flour corn will give you a bit of a work out. You don't want to grind a bunch ahead anyway as once it is processed into flour/meal the clock is ticking on freshness, I only work up what I'll use in 1 or 2 days.

[Jamie B]

I have to say that I am quite jealous of this level of self sufficiency.

Milling your own flour!? Damned impressive,

[Marnoot]

I have a small manual crank flour mill for backup, though it's not as heavy duty as RoadKingLarry's. For everyday usage I have an electric one that saves quite a bit of effort. Nutrition and freshness are the two biggest benefits to milling your own flour. Corn meal/flour and "whole" wheat flour that you buy at the store have both had the germ partially or wholly removed, as otherwise the flour spoils fairly quickly as Larry noted. Thus when you mill your own flour right before using you get a bit more nutrition from the presence of the germ.

[RoadKingLarry]

Nutrition is a big plus but the the taste of fresh milled flour and corn meal is so, so, so much better than the processed crap you buy.