Six months without a supermarket
Home » Blog » Six Months » Six months without a supermarketOur new blog follows a Hawke's Bay family as they quit the supermarket for six months. Check back for tips, recipes and inspiration!
My friends and neighbours Rachel de Lacey and Will Tong have made the intrepid decision to avoid shopping at the supermarket for six months, and I am watching—and wondering.
Oriane making butter (photo by Sonya Lethbridge)
Over the next six months I am going to follow the progress of the Hawke's Bay couple and their three children, Lily (9), Oriane (8) and Stella (1), as they embark on this challenge. I will ask them to share tips, recipes and other goodies along the way … and who knows, by the end of the six months, I (and you?) may be inspired to do the same thing.
Borne out of a real desire to 'get back to basics', the challenge will be no mean feat for teacher Rachel and electrician Will, but they are determined. The project started last month, to coincide with the beginning of summer, and will finish at the end of autumn 2010. The family hopes hope that by taking on this challenge they will simplify their lives, become increasingly connected to their local community, and at the same time do their bit to look after the environment.
The family will produce as much of their own food as possible on their quarter-acre section. They have increased their vegetable garden substantially, are running chickens and are planning to start a beehive. They will make their own butter, yoghurt, cleaning and beauty products, as well as doing plenty of bottling and preserving. They will avoid visiting the supermarket at all for the six-month period, sourcing any items they need from local businesses, roadside stalls, or by swapping resources with friends.
“We are really keen to support locally owned and operated businesses instead of big companies. It's a bit like recreating the old sense of community, and keeping the butcher, baker and candlestick-maker in business,” says Rachel.
The couple agrees that although they have just started, the project has already had many positive spin-offs for the family. Rachel says that at first the two older children were a bit worried about losing their usual treats, but have since really warmed to the idea. “It has been fun taking them out to track down things like butter churns. It's like a history, biology and home economics lesson all in one. They are fascinated.
"I look forward to taking them to the farm to collect the milk, getting them out in the garden, and studying the extraordinary world of the beehive; it's all such good learning for them.”
I'm quite sold on the idea already.
Tue January 26, 2010 @ 06:15 PM
