Book Review - The Locavore's Handbook by Leda Meredith

I’ve decided to incorporate my love of reading into my blog and do a book review from time to time.  I just recently finished The Locavore’s Handbook by Leda Meredith. I should have finished it much sooner than I did since it is an easy read and many parts didn’t apply to me but with the holidays it took me way longer than I’d like to admit. (Thanks Missoula Public Library.  The check is in the mail.) 

During one year, Leda Meredith committed herself to eating only food that was grown or raised within 250 miles of her home in Brooklyn, New York.  This book imparts the knowledge she gained while becoming a locavore and gives some great advice on how anyone can do the same.  Being that she lives in a small apartment in the city, she offers great tips on how to be a locavore on a budget, how to store food in a small space and how to grow your own food in just about any living conditions.  I especially enjoyed the chapter about growing your own food. She gives simple detailed instructions for indoor or outdoor gardens for those of us without much gardening experience plus it was nice to dream about spring when it was 10 degrees outside.   

There are several parts of the book that may or may not apply to you, for instance there’s an entire chapter about being single and being a locavore.  But more than lifestyle, the biggest difference between her and I is location.  She has access to at least one farmer’s market five days a week year round.  And, as I mentioned in my earlier post, The Locavore’s Dilemma, 250 miles from Brooklyn gets you much more variety than 250 miles from just about anywhere in Montana.  But if you look past or skip over those parts that don’t apply to those of us out west, you can still gain a wealth of knowledge on how (and why) you should become a locavore. 

Overall, I really recommend this book to anyone exploring a locavore lifestyle.  You’ll just have to wait until I turn it back in.