There are some interesting blogs coming out of Brighton looking at alternative ways of living. One is the fantastic A long way from Eden, whose author, Jo, visited me in Coventry this weekend. A new blog, by a former housemate of mine, is Beth Eats Local:
"From June 1st
2008 to May 31st 2009 every item of food that I eat and every
ingredient that goes into that food is going to come from a one hundred
mile radius of my home in Brighton. If I’m travelling, food has to come
from either a one hundred mile radius of where I am, or from one
hundred miles of Brighton. I’m vegetarian, and I’m going to try to eat
organic wherever possible. Am I crazy? Undoubtedly. Am I going to
cheat? Not if I can help it. Am I going to starve? You’ve gotta hope
not."
Something Jo pointed out to me is that the difficult bit in making lifestyle changes is often the research: what do vegans eat for breakfast? But once you've found a alternative (cereal with soya milk, toast with vegan spread, fruit, porridge) you don't need to find it again. Providing Beth doesn't starve to death, I'm hoping to see lots of interesting ideas for local food.
Another attraction of local eating (speaking as a spectator, rather than a participant) is the idea that you are more likely to have some sort of interaction with the people producing your food. I imagine Beth is likely to meet some interesting people.
Good luck!