by Jessie Bahrey

Created on: April 15, 2009   Last Updated: April 16, 2009

Living on the west coast of Canada, near Vancouver, BC, has many advantages when it comes to scenery, access to a plethora of outdoor activities, and an abundance of water in the form of lakes, rivers and the ocean. However, due to our short growing season, relative lack of sunshine year-round, high fuel costs and high taxes, the cost of food has risen sharply and added to the general economic downturn. There are a few methods that consumers in my part of the world are utilizing to cope with the rise in food prices, some more effective than others.

There is a movement afloat called the '100 mile diet' which began as an environmental cause, and is fast gaining momentum as a way to lower the costs associated with buying food from far away. With the fertile Fraser Valley area producing many crops and the rise in popularity of local farmer's markets, it is easier than ever before to buy locally grown and produced foods.

There are also a number of dairy and poultry farms in the area, and lately, wineries have begun popping up like never before. There are several local restaurants who claim to use only local food sources, and lately, there has been a lot of publicity surrounding the entire concept. Certainly, it is possible to restrict one's grocery purchases to items grown and produced within a hundred mile radius, but it does take time and a bit of ingenuity to find the markets and small grocery stores selling these items. One of the main drawbacks to this method is that our past three winters have been colder and longer, with more snow than we usually have, so our growing season has been progressively later every year; therefore, most of the produce available for sale has been Californian or South American.

Another recent method of coping with rising food costs that is being utilized, and one that is highly controversial is the passing of municipal by-laws to allow chickens to be kept in residential backyards. While the politicians are debating the pros and cons, and animal rights activists and environmentalists are ranting, many people are quietly educating themselves on the subject. The advocates for the backyard chickens speak of the access to fresh eggs and fresh poultry without having to pay supermarket prices. The opponents speak of the health risks of Asian flu, rats and neighborhood slaughterhouses. Although the debate continues, that such an idea exists in our ultra high-tech world illustrates the anxiety about rising food costs.

The proliferation of big

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