Other People's Challenges
Sharon March 18th, 2009
Ok, so I’m kind of a challenge follow-up failure. First there is Independence Days, which I’m planning to post an update on this week - but I haven’t in a zillion years. Then there’s my ongoing not-quite challenges, ones I was planning on setting up but haven’t my “Competence Project” and “Stuff” problems (since lord knows any little thing in my life has to go on the blog 
). What can I say - I’m a lazy schlub!
But just because I’ve fallen down on the job (again!), doesn’t mean that other people aren’t right there running superb challenges for you to participate in. I promise I’ll be back with challenges as soon as I’m done with AIP and the crazy month of constant travel and speaking engagements and the editing for Independence Days, and probably after Passover .
Meanwhile, definitely sign yourselves up for some of these cool things.
First, at Hen and Harvest, there’s Edson’s wicked awesome (ok, sometimes the Massachusetts I grew up in leaks out ) challenge to grow 10% more for the local food pantry! Here’s the info: http://henandharvest.com/?p=415. This one could make a major difference.
Second, check out La Crunch’s Sustainable Food Budget Challenge, which gets us checking out whether it is possible to eat sustainably and ethically on a Food Stamp budget. This is a really important project for a host of reasons - for the project of documenting the barriers and realities of decent food for the poor (I’d strongly recommend you try this project even if you don’t think you can succeed - in some ways that’s as important as success!) and also for cutting our food budgets in these tough times. An all around excellent project. http://www.thecrunchychicken.com/2009/03/sustainable-food-budget-challenge.html
While we’re on the subject of the food issues affecting the poor, I’d strongly recommend to you two books about food access issues (besides my forthcoming one, of course ). Raj Patel’s terrific _Stuffed and Starved_ addresses this from a global perspective, and I wish the book had been out before we wrote _A Nation of Farmers_. And for those of you exploring the issue from a US perspective, Mark Winne’s superb _Closing the Food Gap_ is a must-read.
But I’m not done with challenges yet! Peak Oil Hausfrau has another one “The Doomer Dinner Party” in which you invite guests and prepare a meal made entirely from the stuff you’ve got in your preps - in your garden and your food storage. #2009/03/doomer-dinner-party-challenge.html. I love her seasonal menus and information and this is a great way of getting people excited about the meals that come from storage - and getting people more tied into their communities!
I’ll be doing all three of these, and coming back, once things settle down a bit to my own challenges. I’m going to try and start up the Friday Food Storage Quickies again as well, and also maybe, just maybe even the post-apocalyptic novel reading group. Of course, that will be garden season, so we’ll see. But, as they say, a girl’s reach should exceed her grasp . Meanwhile, I’m going a-challenging!
Sharon