100 Mile Mel's 100 Mile Disclaimer

I was having breakfast with a friend this morning and we were talking about canning. He playfully mentioned that my colour treatment recipe contained an ingredient which was obviously not from anywhere around here; lemon juice. The syrup I made to keep the apricots and peaches in contains sugar, which may have been refined just down the road in Toronto, but whose main ingredient is definitely imported. We laughed about this over coffee (Yes, coffee!) and then I really thought about it... so I'm writing this disclaimer, lest other, more serious, 1oo-mile dieters come after me.

DISCLAIMER

I am not perfect. I am a work in progress. I did not start this journey in order to practice what I already know. I started this journey in order to learn and share knowledge. I want to know how the honey gets into the honeycomb, and then into the jar. I want to know how flour is milled and what potatoes look like when they're in the ground. There's so much to learn. Most of all, I want to know what I'm putting into my body and where it has come from. Wherever possible, I want to know the people who provide me with what I consume. I'd like to thank them.
So, although there are certain things that I could go without, I don't want to. There, I said it. I don't want to. I want lemons. And olive oil. And vinegars. And coffee.... delicious coffee. And spices from India. I will buy organic wherever possible. I will buy local, wherever possible. I will buy fair trade. But I won't sacrifice everything.
Just for the record, I can be pretty fanatical about something if my interest is piqued. I read so many books on Africa that my poor boyfriend started wincing when I picked up a new one. I knew it was time to move on. I do not want to become one of those patronising, old farts who complains when the rest of the world doesn't jump on the same train that they do. These changes will take time. You might even see me in the grocery store, sneaking around in the produce section, looking desperately at 'fresh' greens. I might even buy them, until I find a way to grow them myself...
Enough said. If you have suggestions, kindly drop me an email and I will consider them. In the meantime, let me enjoy my coffee... :)