Why does milk give some people stomach aches? Where do turkeys prefer to lay their eggs? How many different ways are there to prepare zucchini?

This month's Roots & Shoots Book Club selection, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, will answer these questions and more. In this non-fiction, adult-reading-level book, Kingsolver takes us along, as she and her family embark on a food adventure.

The foursome has pledged to become "locavores" for a year, eating only food produced locally, within 100 miles of their home. Together, they strive to eat in harmony with the environment, animals and other humans.

"Eaters must understand," Kingsolver writes, "how we eat determines how the world is used."

In this story of gardening, cooking, eating and sharing, everyone has a role to play. Kingsolver's college-age daughter, Camille, writes reflections and compiles recipes for the book, and her 10-year-old daughter, Lily, adds her chicken-raising skills¿and makes a profit on her egg business!

After reading this book, Roots & Shoots group leaders will be inspired to take action. Here are some ideas for YOUR GROUP:

• Take your group on a tour of a nearby family farm. If you can't get to a farm, find a farmers' market or a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) near you.
• Lead your group in a discussion of why it's important to eat locally. Here are some questions you might use to get started:

1. Where does most of the food we eat come from, and how does it get to us?
2. What natural resources are used to transport our food to us?
3. Why don't foods in boxes and cans ever spoil?
4. What's the difference between a tomato in January and a tomato in July?

• Pick a recipe from the book and make it with your group. You could invite neighbors and group members over for a dinner of Sweet Potato Quesadillas or make enough Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies to have a bake sale fundraiser.
• If your group is gardening, share your experience and learning with others by emailing your name, location, a brief explanation and one photo to Adventures@animalvegetablemiracle.com. Once you've done that, make your work do double duty by submitting a Roots & Shoots Project Report.
• If you're a teacher, consider starting a Slow Food in Schools project at your school.What we put into our pots and stomachs makes a statement, and we can make an even bigger statement by speaking up for food and for farmers. Consider helping your group members write letters to your political representatives or to local grocers and other food merchants. Do your research and then make your point.

If you're not part of a Roots & Shoots group, you still have a role to play—just like Lily and Camille. What can YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL do in the "locavore" food movement?

• Explore the long list of web resources on the book's website. Then, post what you've learned on the Roots & Shoots Discussion Boards.
• Order a "Vegetannual" poster and study it to learn what grows when.
• Take the author's seasonal farm tour for inspiration. Then, get planting!
• If your appetite can't keep up with your garden, consider canning. Read Camille Kingsolver's essay "Canning Season" (pages 212-214) and try out the Kingsolvers' Family Secret Tomato Sauce. You might also donate some of your produce to a local food pantry or homeless shelter. Everyone deserves healthy, nutritious foods.
• Like it or not, food is political. Get involved with food policy and consumer advocacy organizations to make your voice heard. Share your progress on the Roots & Shoots Discussion Boards.
• Make a personal pledge to eat locally. How many miles will your food radius be?

Looking for another good book? Check out February Roots & Shoots Book Club selection: Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell.
 

Photo: Steven L. Hopp