Anyone else want to eat more local produce?

We are really lucky as our local landowner had a spare piece of land about 50m from our house and offered it to us to rent, it's a little field really, but a triangle bit that they can't farm as it's awkward shape... Anyway, we now have 4 chickens and lots of fruit and veg, potatoes, fruit trees etc. We weren't organised enough this year to keep it going through the winter, so we've harvested everything this year and will start again in spring. The chickens have been on strike the last few weeks (they don't lay in the depths of winter, so we've had to buy eggs again, which is quite annoying after getting used to having them so freely available (and the dogs aren't impressed as they aren't getting the extras anymore!) Last year they started laying again in early Jan, so hopefully we won't have to wait too much longer

For the stuff we buy, I'm also trying to buy stuff in season now too - it tastes much better apart from anything, and it does make you appreciate things more when you haven't had them for a while!

I still struggle with being organised enough to avoid waste though. I think that is the next thing for me to concentrate on - to avoid throwing away unused food

I'd love to eat more local produce, but here in Bath my farmers market is really quite expensive for some things and the organics in Sainsburys works out cheaper. Riverford and Abel & Cole I am not impressed with, and I'm not keen on their selections. There are quite a few 'farm shops' here around Bath but there is not a lot of true local produce, most of their veg has been supplemented by buying in from Bristol wholesale market.

Where in Bath are you? The one in Green Park is v v expensive.

We tend to use the farm shop at Beckington roundabout on the A36, they do buy some stuff in, but if you are selective about what you buy you can get meat and veg from the farm itself.

I'd love to eat more local produce, but here in Bath my farmers market is really quite expensive for some things and the organics in Sainsburys works out cheaper. Riverford and Abel & Cole I am not impressed with, and I'm not keen on their selections. There are quite a few 'farm shops' here around Bath but there is not a lot of true local produce, most of their veg has been supplemented by buying in from Bristol wholesale market.

Where in Bath are you? The one in Green Park is v v expensive.

We tend to use the farm shop at Beckington roundabout on the A36, they do buy some stuff in, but if you are selective about what you buy you can get meat and veg from the farm itself.

Yeah, the one in Green Park is extortionate, but it's 5 mins from me. The one in Beckington I should try again, we went when it first opened and it was really sparse, I have forgotten to give it another chance There is one in Bradford-on-avon and one in Farrington Guerney I sometimes use but it still means driving which I'm trying to cut down on.

This is a subject very close to my heart, we try to always buy veg in season ( will not buy anything out of season if i can help it) and also will avoid anything with large foodmiles.
Also, we are very lucky to have 3 acres of land of which half acre is an orchard, a cutting area, and a veg plot with a 40ft poly tunnel and a 20 ft glass greenhouse. Up until the suprise arrival of DS3 i was an avid gardener and grew most winter veg and all our summer veg and fruit.
Alas, for the last 2 summers this has all go to pot, its now an overgrown wilderness,so 2010 is the year to get back to the earth.
I`m still amazed by the amount of stuff in the supermarkets that has come from the otherside of the world when there is local produce that is in season and has to better nutritionally.
I get my meat from the local butcher who only buys from local farms, but since we live in a rural agricultural area is probably not too difficult.
Never used veg boxes, even when we lived in London, but do use farmers markets here.

ive been thinking about joining a box scheme for quite a while now, but as its just me and the DH for now we've always wondered if it would be cost effective ie would we eat everything in a small box b4 it went bad.
just had a bit of a google and found http://www.growing-with-nature.co.uk
which seems to be the cheapest in my area so all i need to do now is persuade the DH that its a good idea lol

Are you wanting to wait for 4 years o the allotment waiting list? If not another thing worth looking at may be the Landshare thingy that Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has pioneered, more details on website.

http://landshare.channel4.com/

ETA Oops see someone else has put that further up, sorry!

The chickens have been on strike the last few weeks (they don't lay in the depths of winter, so we've had to buy eggs again, which is quite annoying after getting used to having them so freely available (and the dogs aren't impressed as they aren't getting the extras anymore!) Last year they started laying again in early Jan, so hopefully we won't have to wait too much longer

They obviously heard me - 3 eggs today (although Mike dropped them and the dogs had them! )