I Resolve To…

Besides my usual resolutions — lose more weight, exercise more, eat better, blah, blah blah — I have a pretty ambitious list for 2010.

So here goes it. In 2010, I pledge to:

• Eat In Season. This has long been a priority of mine, but I’ve lacked the resolve to fully take the plunge. It’s also the one that I’m not likely to fully accomplish. After all…one of my resolutions is to lose weight. And since there’s hardly any calories in lettuce, it’ll be tough for me not to pick up lettuce trucked in from California or Florida to my grocery store. I will, however, more easily refrain from picking up tomatoes. I’ve already been spoiled with in-season heirlooms. So the tasteless red globes I see in my local markets just don’t measure up enough to make me want to spend the dough.

• Preserve. I hope to focus more on the veggies and fruits I really value when they’re in season and find ways to preserve those flavors for use during the Midwest’s long post harvest to spring doldrums. Another benefit of better preservation plans will be less waste from our CSA share bounties. So look for a canning party or two this summer and fall.

• Compost. Yet another way to limit waste will be to finally start a compost in our backyard. I’m looking forward to the black gold soil that will materialize from our veggie and coffee ground scraps. My herb/veggie garden can’t wait.

• Grow. What I really need to do is learn to grow more of my own food in my backyard. I pledge not to plant a single non-edible plant, unless its purpose is for pollination or, in the case of marigolds, to ward off pests.

• Buy Local. We’re off to a decent start here. We’ve done a a pretty good job identifying the varieties of veggies, meats and cheeses we can get from farmers within 150 miles of Chicago. But we can do better. In addition to a vegetable CSA, I hope to find a good pipeline for meats and to get a bit more vigilant about buying everything from liquors to candies from area businesses who’ve developed relationships with farmers and artisan food makers.

• Connect. My children are getting a pretty good idea about where their food comes from. In 2009, they dug for potatoes, picked strawberries, cherries and tomatoes. And they are now acutely aware that those cute chirping chicks may some day become nuggets. But this year, I’d like them to get a little more involved in the farm-to-table process, maybe by having them play a role in some of our preservation activities.

• Strategize. This is the year for me to think strategically about my family’s farm in Indiana, to consider the property as a whole and what we want to do once our tenant farmer contract ends and my sisters head off to college. I hope to spend more time at The Farm, planting, improving the property and harvesting.