Thanks to Modern Eco Homes, where this blog entry by Katie Nielsen originally came from, and they reached out to us, wanting to share their findings and learn from yours. Enjoy, and please share your eco holiday finds below in the comments

In 1621, the pilgrims at Plymouth celebrated the ending of a successful growing season with a harvest feast, an event that is generally considered the “First Thanksgiving.” They were joined by several Native Americans who had taught the pilgrims how to harvest foods and survive the harsh winter. The feast included foods locally grown and produced by the pilgrims such as duck, lobster, swan, native berries, boiled pumpkin, squash and a variety of other vegetables.

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris’s iconic painting depicts the first Thanksgiving celebration.

Today’s modern Thanksgiving celebration is a far cry from that first harvest feast where the settlers farmed, hunted, and gathered everything they consumed. Today’s traditional feast is a far more industrialized affair, comprised of pre-packaged foods that likely travel hundreds of miles before it ends up on your table.  In fact, it’s estimated that most of the foods consumed in the U.S. travel more than 1500 miles before being sold to consumers. The ability to shop a season-less global food market may be convenient but our incessant appetites and rapidly expanding food chain is taking its (hefty) toll on the environment primarily because of the immense transportation impacts. We have long forgotten what it’s like to eat as prescribed by Mother Nature, as those very first settlers did.

That’s why this year we’re challenging you to a 100-mile eco Thanksgiving! The traditional holiday for giving thanks presents the perfect opportunity to get back in touch with the original roots of the harvest celebration and make your meal local. That means everything you use to prepare your feast should originate within…you guessed it, 100 miles!

For some, preparing such a feast solely from local ingredients may sound daunting but pulling off a 100-mile Thanksgiving is far easier than you think; you just have to know where to look.

Find a Local Bird

The Turkey

Believe it or not, the traditional Thanksgiving bird is raised in most of the lower 48 states, which means most of us can find a local turkey from a farm within 100 miles. Check out Heritage Foods USA or Local Harvest’s Turkey Search.

Use Locally Grown Produce

Locally-Grown Produce

If you live in New England or Washington, delicious, juicy apples can be purchased from a local apple farm. You can find fresh potatoes if you happen to live in Idaho or leafy greens (think lettuce, arugula, cabbage, etc.) in New Mexico and citrus fruits in Arizona and Florida. Research local produce that’s available near you and incorporate it into your meal. The Natural Resources Defense Council offers an Eat Local search, where you can determine what’s fresh near you depending on the season.

Dairy Products

From milk to cheese and ice cream to top the pie, dairy products can be found at local dairy farms located in most states. Not sure what farms are within 100 miles of you? There are a handful of national dairy chains (such as Winder Farms) or you can contact your local dairy council who can refer you to farms in your area.

The Booze

Wine that perfectly complements dark turkey meat will be easy to find if you’re within 100 miles of Napa Valley. For the rest of us, getting our hands on local spirits may be a bit more challenging but certainly not impossible. DrinkLocalWine.com offers a plethora of info on regional wines throughout the country and the Brewers Association can locate microbreweries in your area. To make your Thanksgiving booze even greener, try finding local organic spirits.

Purchase Local Organic Spirits

The Stuffing

Instead of purchasing this traditional Thanksgiving side dish from the prepackaged box, try making a homemade vegetable stuffing using produce found at a local farmers market. There are more than 4800 farmers’ markets operating throughout the continental United States and chances are, there’s one near you. Local Harvest allows you to easily search for farmers’ markets in your area by zip code.

With few exceptions, everything you need to make your Thanksgiving feast (or acceptable alternatives) can be found within a 100-mile radius. Such exceptions generally include spices and coffee, which for many are fundamental to the quintessential Thanksgiving feast. The November holiday was instated to literally give thanks and celebrate blessings but its true meaning is often overshadowed by the impending and often expected feast that accompanies it. The idea behind the 100-mile Thanksgiving is to prepare and enjoy the celebratory meal while significantly reducing your carbon footprint. We encourage you to try new, scrumptious dishes entirely composed of local ingredients. Your 100-mile feast doesn’t have to be a traditional Thanksgiving – it just has to be one that you can enjoy in the company of your family and friends.

Are you planning a 100-mile Thanksgiving? We want to hear from you! Share your ideas, tips, and tasty recipes using only locally-produced foods in our comment section! We’ll post some of our favorites on our blog. Can’t wait to hear from you!

by Beth Doane,

As I write this I think “dare I touch this subject being so directly involved in the manufacturing industry and with countless colleagues and clients producing in China?”  I quickly remind myself that the real question is dare I not confront this topic seeing as I am in a unique position to support or not support what has been the most massive manufacturing nation on the planet for years.

About the author: Beth Doane is a fashion designer and consultant focusing on eco-conscious product development and marketing. She founded and designed the internationally acclaimed Rain Tee collection and Andira International.

by Scott Milinder

Multinational banks like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Citibank have earned hefty profits this year and are handing out record bonuses, thanks in part to federal bailouts. At the same time, in 16 states the unemployment rate has surpassed 10 percent, and it’s over 15 percent in Michigan.  So the federal stimulus has not yet lifted millions of Americans out of their economic plight.

Many say we need a new stimulus package.  How about another kind of stimulus package? One that’s more sustainable than a necessarily temporary federal stimulus and that we all can participate in; one that helps us focus on making socially-conscious choices; one that helps us to make greener choices and live sustainable lives.

This stimulus package is “The 10% Shift” everywhere in communities across the country.

“Local First” alliances in many parts of the country have promoted “The 10 % Shift,” including a regional campaign in New England.  Their premise, born out by recent studies, is that a significant shift in your buying habits to locally owned businesses creates significantly more circulation of money, more economic activity and more jobs in the local economy.

A 2008 study focusing on Grand Rapids and Kent County in Western Michigan showed that a 10% shift of spending from corporate chains to independently owned local businesses would give a major stimulus to the area’s economy and jobs.  The shift would add 1600 jobs, $53-million in payroll, and $137-million of additional local economic output. The best part is that no more total dollars need to be spent to achieve this stimulus.

So if your community has an independent business alliance with a “10 % Shift” campaign, participate!  If the business alliance doesn’t have such a campaign, suggest it!  If your community doesn’t have an alliance, start one!

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About the Author: Scott Milinder is the founder of Sustainetics Institute, LLC, a company in Tampa, FL that helps organizations improve their bottom line performance by becoming more green and sustainable. Scott may be reached at scott.milinder@sustainetics.com or (727) 421-2818.