This July 4, declare your food independence

Americans are calling upon their governors to 'eat by example' and pledging to do the same this Independence Day.

Mon, Jun 15 2009 at 2:48 PM EST

Kitchen Gardens International is a group that can get things done. Their Eat the View campaign was instrumental in bringing about the current White House kitchen garden. Now the group has a new campaign – Food Independence Day.

By petitioning each of our 50 governors, the group hopes to persuade the 50 first families to eat locally sourced meals this July 4. They are asking those who support this campaign to go to their website and sign a petition asking their governor to not just “lead by example but eat by example.” Petitions will be delivered to the governors in the last week of June.

Here’s what the petition says:

To: The first families of the 50 U.S. states and territories

We, the undersigned, are petitioning you to lead and eat by example this July 4 by sourcing the ingredients of your Independence Day meal as locally and sustainably as possible. Whet our appetites by publishing your planned menu in advance of the holiday. Share your recipes and the names of the local farmers, fisherfolk and food producers whose ingredients you'll be using. Make it into a friendly competition with the other first families to see who can serve the meal that inspires the most while traveling the least. As residents of your states and by our signatures below, we pledge to join you in this celebration of edible independence by eating healthy and delicious foods from our own local farms, gardens and communities.

Did you catch that last sentence? If you sign, you’re pledging to celebrate Food Independence Day, too, by eating from your own local area. That shouldn’t be too difficult, though; by July 4,the choices should be plentiful.

What do you say? Are you ready to celebrate your food independence? Why am I picturing Bill Pullman asking this question?

Also on MNN:

• See what America's first families are eating. Plus, get an in-season recipe for every state.

Photo: duziem

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