Anyone else want to eat more local produce?

I recently read about a scheme/initative in Scotland which encourages people to eat about 80% local produce. That got me thinking - although I have a huge interest in both the background/history of food, and in different recipes, etc. I pay relatively little attention to either seasonal menu planning, or where my food comes from...I check, when I remember, fruit and veg labels e.g. to avoid buying apples from Australia when British apples are available, but as I mainly shop online, this isn't always possible.

I've decided to try to eat much more local produce, starting from now. We're on the (4 year ) waiting list for a local allotment, and I'm planning to plant some veg crops in tubs next year. I've also signed up for an extra large organic veg box from our local wholefoods shop and, depending on how I get on, will supplement it with a second box, perhaps fruit or mixed fruit and veg. This should mean that we eat more healthily and save money, as seasonal foods are usually cheaper, and I hopefully won't be picking up extras from our local, expensive Tesco Metro so often. When I do supermarket shops, I'm going to plan more carefully to actually consider what's in season, what comes from where, etc. so we actually eat different foods at different times of the year, rather than the same meals month in and month out.

Is anyone already actively doing this successfully? Anyone else fancy trying this and sharing growing, shopping and recipe ideas?

Our entire Christmas Dinner came from our local farm We get a fruit and veg box delivered and buy quite a lot of meat from there when we go up, I am very into supporting local farmers, getting fresh local produce etc (and no it isn't a whole heap more expensive but is way tastier), we can look out our bedroom window and see the cows we get our milk from that we get delivered to our doorstep. xx

I would love to! The boys are trained to pick out fruit and veg with a union jack on, when we're shopping. And I do check other items for the distance travelled and go for the nearest where possible. We used to get a box, but I was having to top it up with so much anyway that we stopped and when I go online now and work out what we would spend it's just scary. We can't afford it! Locally though, there doesn't seem to be a lot going on here. We don't have any independent grocers in our town (very few independent shops at all in fact, unless you want super-expensive clothes), we don't have a car (for environmental and financial reasons) so can't get out to any farm shops, not that I know of any and we decided against an allotment. We do have a very small veg patch in our very small garden though

I would love to buy local produce, but finances prohibit it currently I am trying to get my name onto the allotment waiting list.

I'd love to get organic boxes delivered of local seasonal fruit and veg, but finances won't allow for that at the mo
I do try to buy Lancashire fruit and veg when I'm in Tesco and British meat products.
I like the idea lots though so thnk I'll make a greater effort from now on
I'm also hoping when we get a house it'll have a big enough garden to grow some veg and I definitely want to grow herbs.

That sounds fab Kirsty!

Shadow, I'm jealous that you have a veg patch, we have a small stoney patch 8 feet above our yard (seriously) which we're planning to work on early in the year.

Tanya and Davina - I'm a bit concerned about the cost - Abel & Cole were poor value for money - but our local organic grocer's extra large veg boxes contain all the best value organic produce they have received that week and apparently contain 1.8kg of potatoes and an average of 500g each of an additional 9 or 10 veg, which seems pretty good value to me for £13, so fingers crossed.

I've just stocked a trolley with 6 weeks' worth of basics - cleaning stuff, loo and kitchen rolls, cat food, frozen veg, flour, olive oil, passata, pasta etc. - at mysupermarket which will cost £120 at Asda or £130 at Tescos. I reckon we will then spend £30 per week on local dairy, fruit, veg and bread, which will total £50 per week. Sounds too good to be true - we currently average about £85 per week - so I'll have to see how we get on!

I have just heard of a man up the road that sells fresh grown fruit and veg so hoping to locate him and try out in the new year. Used to get an organic box delivery fornightly locally but it was just too costly really. However the shop at the top of the road, about a mile away, selld local produce so could/should make more of an effort to use that.

We started growing our own this year and had potatoes, beetroot, strawberries, carrots and cherry tomatoes. They were fab and we plan to grow lots more this year inc all the above and peas, butternut squash, courgette and herbs.

Hmm, anyone know how can I find out if there's any local fruit and veg boxes schemes near me?

Hmm, anyone know how can I find out if there's any local fruit and veg boxes schemes near me?

HFW's River Cottage website has a decent forum, one of the members there might have some info local to you.