By Shelley Harms

A typical ingredient in a modern meal has traveled 1,500 miles or more from farm to plate.

So says the “100-mile diet” Web site, which grew out of one couple’s decision to eat from within a 100-mile radius for an entire year.  They drew a circle around their home near Vancouver, and found they could eat quite well, most of the time. They made the mistake of starting in January, without having preserved any of the previous summer harvest. After a few lean months, though, they were singing the praises of local eating.

Local food, they say, is fresh and delicious, and helps them to know their region, its producers and where their food comes from. They feel healthier eating local fruits and vegetables rather than highly processed supermarket foods. Supporting small farms keeps money in the local economy. And a study shows that a regional diet consumes 17 times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped around the world. They missed chocolate and coffee, and they went without bread for a long time until they could find a local wheat grower, but on the whole were very happy with the experiment.

Could 100-mile eating work in Norfolk? Presumably that is how people here ate at one time, but there aren’t many farms here anymore. Most of Connecticut’s farmers left long ago for the better soils of the Midwest, and those who remained have dwindled in number. The American Farmland Trust reports that “Connecticut’s agriculture is being uprooted, as farms give way to subdivisions and suburban sprawl has made farming a logistical and economic challenge.” The Working Lands Alliance states that Connecticut is losing 7,000-9,000 acres of farmland a year to non-agricultural uses, and that at this rate, by 2040 there will be no farmland left.

But the website says 100-mile eating is possible anywhere, with a little planning. It also offers a mapping tool that will create your own 100-mile circle. When I entered 06058 on the map, the resulting 100-mile circle around Norfolk covered most of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and extended from the Adirondacks to New York City, even to part of the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island. Clearly, there are lots of farms within that circle. Maybe even seafood?

My family would never tolerate a whole year of 100-mile eating. But maybe I could swing a meal, or even a month of it. Thanksgiving would be a good meal to try, since it is all about the harvest. And maybe the month of August, when the fresh corn and tomatoes are at their peak, and the Farmers Market makes it so convenient to buy from local farmers.

When I look at this year’s Thanksgiving menu, I feel I’ve made a start. Butternut squash, leeks, celeriac and Jerusalem artichokes came from the garden. Connecticut milk and butter, and potatoes from a New Hartford farm were from Big Y. I got the turkey from just across the border in New York. Apples from our tree went into the pie. But the cranberries came from Maine, flour for the bread and the pie crust was probably from the Midwest, the corn, lettuce, green beans and wine were from California, and the olive oil, cinnamon and sugar came from halfway around the world.

Next year, I’ll start planning sooner. I’m thinking August and Thanksgiving 2008 for a 100-mile eating experiment. And I’m not the only one. Just asking around about this article, I’ve learned that others are looking into doing this as well, that the Great Barrington Co-op is a great source of local food, and that 100-mile eating in Norfolk might not be as hard as I thought. Let’s find out, shall we?