It's not too late

I've seen a lot of comments posted to this blog along the lines of "I'm so glad I found out about this challenge, but I'm really bummed that it's too late for me to participate".

It's not too late.

I've seen other blog posts saying this is a great idea, but it's too bad that it's too late to join in.

It's not too late.

I've talked to people who said to me, "I wish I had known about One Local Summer earlier, since I missed the cutoff and it's too late to do it."

It's never too late.

This project started on my blog as a way to get people interested in the idea of eating locally produced foods. Many times I've heard, "I want to start eating locally but don't know where to begin". Well, One Local Summer is a way to begin, to take those first steps down a road that may potentially change your outlook on food and your life in general. That may sound dramatic, but I've talked to enough people who are thrilled about how eating locally produced foods has changed their lives.

The only reason for the cap on participants is so that we can keep an eye on you. The six of us are all busy people, and following over 100 blogs to catch the posts about OLS and write the round-ups takes an effort on our part. We do it so that you can be inspired by what's going on all over the country (and world!), and you can see how easy it can be to eat local foods. From simple down home cooking to more gourmet fare, there is room in the local food movement for everyone. It just takes a willingness to use what's locally available.

If you missed the cutoff, you can still participate in One Local Summer on your own, just post a comment in the weekly round-up for your geographical area and a link to your blog if you have one.

Don't let the lack of a formal "participant" label hold you back. Eating locally is for everyone, and it's never too late to start.