Think Globally, Eat Locally
by William Etling

"Virtually everything that people eat is bad for them," Millroy the Magician said. "In a way, you can't blame them. Most food in supermarkets is carcinogenic. Cancer in a wrapper." (from "Millroy the Magician," by Paul Theroux)

If he actually existed, magician Millroy might be happy to learn that bestselling novelist Barbara Kingsolver (The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees) has a non-fiction change of pace flying off the shelf.

"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" details her family's attempt to eat only organic local foods for a year,

Johanna and Christopher Finley of Santa Ynez brought a host of colorful heirloom organic tomatoes, melons, lemon cucumbers, and flowers to the Solvang street market. William Etling photo

mostly from their family farm, a hilly 100-acre hollow in southwest Virginia. Only 3,500 square feet, though, was used for garden, less than one-tenth of an acre. "Local" was defined as being within about a 100 mile radius.

Learn more at www.eatlocalchallenge.com

Kingsolver's premise is that local foods not only taste better, they're better for the planet. Buying local saves all the packaging and petroleum wasted hauling goods around the globe. Farm neighbors and the local enonomy prosper as well. One-fourth of all U.S. households grow some of their own produce, says the Census Bureau.

"Eaters must understand that eating takes place inescapably in the world, that it is inescapably an agricultural act, and that how we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used," wrote famed agrarian essayist Wendell Berry.

The family of four didn't eat any bananas, but by and large it was far more of a gourmet retreat than a famine. They raised Araucana, Dark Cornish and Partridge Rocks chickens and Bourbon Red turkeys,

Fresh garlic is the best, says third generation Los Olivian Poul Palmer. He's wowing chefs and gourmets with 60 varieties of hand-picked, heirloom cloves. William Etling photo

and harvested eggs. Their garden was chlorophyll riot of asparagus, beans, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, spinach, peppers, garlic, potatoes, peanuts, rainbow swiss chard, and corn, mostly from heirloom seeds.

Their fruit trees drooped with cherries and apples. They made cheese, gathered mushrooms, and canned, dried, froze, pickled, and preserved. If the cupboard was bare, they searched out farmer's market finds. They cheated on the coffee.

All this eating inspired a whirlwind tour of yummy Valley produce. We bought fresh peaches from Buttonwood Farm, 1500 Alamo Pintado Road. "Ambrosia and nectar," gushed a stranger tasting a sample. "Food of the Gods," concurred the teenaged sales clerk, not missing a beat. There's a strawberry stand right across the street, too.

Los Olivos Homegrown, at 2950 Grand Ave, has garlic lovers swooning for 60 varieties on hand, all grown locally. Fresh garlic is the best, says third generation Los Olivian Poul Palmer. He's wowing Southern California chefs and gourmets with his hand picked cloves, rare heirloom finds from France, Spain, Italy, China, Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan, South America, and beyond. Don't miss the sweet corn, zucchini, peppers, rare melons, heirloom tomatoes and flowers, too. (Open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 pm, or call 448-1140.)

Doug Dittmar's awesome apples (Gala, Akane, Sommerfeld, Jonagold, Crispin, Red and and Golden Delicious, Criterion, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Fuji, Courtland, Pippin) have been sold from a table under the big oak tree for over 30 years. (Greenhaven Orchard, 2275 Alamo Pintado Road, 10-5 daily, August thru November.) Just down the road is the Apple Lane Orchard, at 1200 Alamo Pintado.

You could probably just live on buys from the jam-packed farmer's market held Wednesday, 2:30 to 6 pm, on First Street in Solvang. Last week Johanna and Christopher Finley of Santa Ynez brought a host of colorful heirloom organic tomatoes, melons, lemon cucumbers, even flowers. The folks from Morrell Farms left their bountiful you-pick berry bushes at 1980 Alamo Pintado to trek to town with luscious fresh fruit and preserves. There were luscious offerings from Marcie's Pies in Santa Ynez, fresh baked bread, fresh eggs, cheese, fresh roasted nuts, and much more, dozens of vendors in all.

The convenient cornucopia at Summerset Farm (154 and Edison) includes a burgeoning flower stand as well. We found local green onions, Yukon gold potatoes, celery, olive oil and more at Los Olivos Grocery, 2621 W. Hwy 154, and bought Santa Ynez sage honey in a cunning bear bottle, made by San Marcos Farm bees, at the Lane Farms stand on Walnut Drive in Goleta.

Get those anti-oxidants from Buellton blueberries at Restoration Oaks Ranch U-Pick Blueberries on Highway 101, 5 miles south of Buellton. They're closed right now; but will open about mid-May through the end of July, 10:30am-5:30pm.

Let's not forget the bounty of the sea. Izaak Walton published "The Compleat Angler: or, The Contemplative Man's Recreation," in 1653, full of tips for the intrepid few who fish Cachuma or backcountry streams, surf cast, or sail on deep sea excursions.

If you can't find a local meal there somewhere, then "grits ain't grocery, eggs ain't poultry, and Mona Lisa was a man." (Titus Turner, King Records, "All Around The World," 1955.)

William Etling is a 41 year resident of Santa Ynez, and the author of Sideways in Neverland: Life in the Santa Ynez Valley.