Sat, Apr 4, 2009
James MacKinnon and Alisa Smith, authors of "The 100 Mile Diet", try to sign up the residents of Mission, British Columbia on the diet for 100 days. In doing so, they are encouraging people to think about where their food comes from in order to eat more healthily and sustainably. To their amazement, they sign up dozens of families for the challenge. The pair will follow six to monitor their progress for the 100 days: the Clark/Vernons, the Haweses, the McIntoshes, the Peterses, the St. Cyrs and the Weremchuk/Williamses. Each family signs up for a different reason, but James and Alisa feel that this change in lifestyle will benefit some more than others, especially those that have very poor eating habits and resulting possible health issues. Some families feel that work issues and time pressures may be reasonable excuses for not following the diet. Others do have legitimate concerns, such as one who suffers from agoraphobia which will make it difficult physically to source local product, and one family that has the issue of feeding their picky autistic infant son. And yet others think the challenge will be no challenge at all. James and Alisa worry about those families that do not know how to cook well, but also fear that those that do or already produce much of their food may believe the challenge easier than it really is. The challenge becomes reality when James and Alisa empty out the families' cupboards of non-100 mile product. In thinking about the challenge, some decide to grow their own food, perhaps not realizing that much of it will not be ready for harvest within the span of the challenge. After day 1 of the challenge, most families realize how unprepared they are. The challenge may be too difficult for some to start, let alone complete.
Sat, Apr 11, 2009
The McIntoshes have dropped out of the challenge, which is disappointing for Jocelyn McIntosh, who feels her husband didn't support the idea of the task. And James and Alisa feel that Kyle McIntosh would have benefited the most of all the individuals health-wise in doing the diet. The remaining five families are finding that in the initial days of the challenge they have not yet figured out how to vary their diet. Some individuals miss specific food items which they will have to try and replace. With James and Alisa's help, some do manage to source replacements while some need to make their own. For sweet tooth Cassie Clark Vernon, it is sugar that she misses. The Clark/Vernons take a visit to a local honey farm and learn how honey is made. For Alma Hawes, it is red wine that she misses. James and Alisa point the Haweses to a local organic winery, where they barter work for some bottled red. For Angela St. Cyr who is probably the best cook among all the families, it is salt that she misses. The St. Cyrs take a trip to the beach to make their own salt from sea water. And for Alex Weremchuk, it is coffee that she misses. She finds a possible replacement that grows wild in the area. But all families miss wheat, which is used in so many food products in a western diet. Steve Peters, who works as a local grocer, feels it is his responsibility to source a local supplier of wheat flour. He comes up short of demand from the families, both in terms of quantity and actual product. James and Alisa assist in finding a more reliable source of wheat flour. As the families search for food, they come across some surprising finds. As the families settle into the challenge, one takes advantage of what they see as a loophole. At a social gathering for the families on day 22, the other families learn of the one that took advantage of this "gray area", which causes a rift amongst the families.
Sat, Apr 18, 2009
On day 25, James and Alisa convene the families to discuss the rules, primarily what is known as the social life clause, used by the Haweses on a recent business trip. What the families are looking for is a level playing field for all. They lay out four rules, one they name the "Randy Rule", in honor of Randy Hawes's somewhat open flaunting of what are considered by most to be the unofficial rules, and in which Randy himself is the first person to enact. In addition to enacting the rule, Randy decides to exact his own form of revenge. The Peterses and the St. Cyrs take trips to local farms to source local produce for their store and to learn how free-range eggs and chicken are produced, respectively. In addition to these trips, Mike St. Cyr takes farm life one step further by assisting in making a farm delivery via bicycle, and the Peterses barter work on the farm for fresh vegetables. With the assistance of an expert, Alisa provides a further challenge to Frances Vernon to forage for food adjacent to her home. Angela St. Cyr, and Steve Peters and Sherida Peters have self-imposed challenges in hosting 100-mile parties to celebrate Kaity St. Cyr's fourth birthday and the Peters' tenth anniversary, respectively. For the latter, James and Alisa provide the Peterses with one specific exemption.
Sat, Apr 25, 2009
The five families seem to have got into a rhythm with executing the challenge. Many of the families feel that it has brought them closer together, especially when it comes to day-to-day cooking. The routine for many however is a reliance on the cook of the family. Alisa Smith, a self-proclaimed non-cook, promised to make a 100-mile meal during the challenge. And Alma Hawes, although knowing how to cook, still does not like it. So Alisa and Alma join forces to cook a meal for their partners. And Mike St. Cyr takes on the challenge of cooking his cooking-expert wife a birthday dinner to her exacting standards. Steve Peters thinks that he has perfected the 100-mile pizza, and challenges James MacKinnon to a 100-mile pizza throwdown. Alex Weremchuk feels that their family has still not made a decent loaf of bread, so she and daughter Hailey Weremchuk visit restaurateur Vikram Vij, who shows them how to make roti, an unleavened bread, his with a special ingredient. Others go back to the land. The Weremchuk/Williamses go fishing at a local trout farm, a new experience even for adult Steve Williams who has never fished in his life. And the Clark/Vernons, with the help of Ellen Robinson-Atmarow, transform Duncan the sheep into "dunclinks". In doing so, Johanna Clark provides her views on raising farm animals for food.
Sat, May 2, 2009
James and Alisa want to push the families to experiment more and get outside of the routine into which most have fallen. This routine or comfort zone is primarily meals of meat, potatoes, salad and breakfast of eggs. Self taught cook and perfectionist Angela St. Cyr takes a trip to Raincity Grill in Vancouver to learn from Robert Clark, its executive chef. Beyond the challenge she has at the restaurant, she is given a further challenge to take back to Mission, one she relishes. Sherida Peters, not comfortable in the kitchen, is guided by her sister-in-law chef Jennifer Peters in preparing a meal outside of Sherida's norm. Cassie Clark Vernon gets back to her aboriginal roots and is given a lesson in a traditional First Nations long house feast. Randy Hawes makes good on a 100-mile barbecue feast which he auctioned at a charity event. And the Weremchuk/Williamses enjoy the bounty of their first ever planted garden. They also go wild apple and pear picking, the latter without Steve Williams, whose agoraphobia gets the better of him.
Sat, May 9, 2009
On day 100 of the challenge, the five families are celebrating the occasion, each with a special feast. With James and Alisa, the five families reflect on the past 100 days. The Weremchuk/Williamses probably made the greatest change in initially being non-cooks and who now respect the food on their table. James MacKinnon admits he thought the Weremchuk/Williamses would not have completed the challenge. Angela St. Cyr shares the changes in food spending over the time period and what she needed to do to keep eating local affordable. Steve Peters shows the results of his own wheat growing experiment. The Peterses also share their views of not making their three-year old autistic son, Markus, go through the challenge, and the affect the challenge had on Sherida Peters' time with Markus. And the Haweses admit they did not like the challenge and would not do it again. Besides the Haweses, there are experiences common to the other families: being closer as a family, losing weight (in some cases, a significant amount) and feeling healthier. On the down side, the challenge did require much more time and planning, certain foods were definitely missed (primarily coffee), and that there was not a strong local network upon which to rely. With the latter point, many felt the constant driving to source food was against the challenge's concept of reducing one's ecological footprint. Besides the Haweses open "cheating", other individuals disclose their non-100 mile food indiscretions within the challenge period. And the challenge from the children's perspective is presented. On day 114, the families reflect further on what their future food life will be like now they've had time to go back to their global eating habits if they've wanted.