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SEPTEMBER 2, 2007 - One hundred people eating from within 100 miles for 100 days. That was the goal of 100-Mile Manitoba, and as of their kickoff on September 1 they were exceeding their own expectations, with 116 participants and plenty of coverage by urban and rural media. For those unfamiliar with the Winnipeg, Manitoba area, it's nearing the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies - it's flat, rich in grains, berries, vegetables, and freshwater fish, and, in winter, can be brutally cold. Though the 100-milers are starting at the same time as the international month-long Eat Local Challenge, they will end more than two months later, when the winter nights are deep and long. A challenge indeed, and one that will help expand many people's idea of what is possible. "This is not a one time, short term culinary stunt," says Jennifer deGroot, an organizer with 100-Mile Manitoba and part-time vegetable farmer. "We are working to establish viable new connections between rural producers and urban retailers and customers." The Manitoba 100-milers plan to develop "micro-marketing networks" that connect consumers and small retailers more directly with producers. It's something Alisa and I are hearing about more and more often: groups of people developing direct relationships with farmers and even influencing what they grow. In our part of the world, farmers have said, "Bring us a list of names of people who'll buy heritage wheat, and we'll plant heritage wheat." It's a rare and powerful feeling to realize that we - all of us who eat food - have the ability to directly shape our local economies and agricultural landscapes. "If I'm going to spend $20 on food," says deGroot, "I would rather have the bulk of that money go to a farmer 40 miles down the road instead of it being divvied up between a big agricultural exporter half a continent away, a transport company, and a big chain retailer." The Manitoba 100-milers each make a serious pledge to make every effort to keep to the 100-mile rule - they're looking for a crash course in their local food system. But the group is large enough to share a lot of skills, and most hope that, at the end of the experiment, they will have the knowledge to eat far more locally than they have in the past...but with a few long-distance treats allowed back in the pantry. 100 x 100 x 100...incredible!-JBM

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