Eating locally means eating big when you have a surplus (can I tell you how many peaches we ate this summer?) and paying attention to shortages when crops fail or the weather doesn’t cooperate. Take apples, for example. A few months ago, I was talking with a farmer at the market and he mentioned that apples would be in short supply this year. Although we had a wonderfully mild winter, we also had a hard freeze very late in the season. So late that the apple trees had already started to flower. That is bad. Very bad. North Carolina lost 80% of its apple crop in 24 hours.

I’ve talked with several apple vendors at the State Farmer’s Market and those who have apples are from areas a little east of the mountains or high up in the mountains. Apparently, the coldest air sank into the valleys, destroying those crops, but leaving some other orchards at higher elevations untouched.

I saw this blog from one of our favorite restaurants, Lucky 32 and thought I would share it with you. It really shows how a committment to eating locally (or cooking locally) can translate into revising your entire fall menu. Sure they could go to Super Walmart and get apples from Mexico, but that’s not what they’re all about. And that’s why we love them! Enjoy the read!

http://lucky32southernkitchen.com/2012/09/06/the-locavores-guide-to-this-seasons-apple-shortage/