This question just came up on the Facebook Eat Local Challenge event
page:
"Anybody know where we can get locally grown coffee- locally grown
cocoa for chocolate? And what about peanut butter? Some of my favorite
things...."
I just posted about coffee, so now let's talk about cocoa/chocolate:
Unfortunately, cacoa trees don't grow in our climate. According to
Nancy Oster's article on Chocolate (
http://www.ediblecommunities.com/
santabarbara/winter-2009/chocolate.htm),
cacao trees only grow within a latitudinal band 22 degrees above and
22 degrees below the equator.
So, if you don't want to give up chocolate (and who does?), the next
best thing is to seek out chocolate produced on small farms or
cooperatives that pay a fair wage. Either look for "Fair Trade
Certified" or buy chocolate from a trusted source. And support our
local artisan chocolate makers. Here are some local resources:
Chocolate Maya
15 West Gutierrez St.
Santa Barbara
805 965-5956
chocolatemaya.com
Chocolats du CaliBressan
4193 Carpinteria Ave., Suite 4
Carpinteria
805 684-6900
Jessica Foster
jessicafosterconfections.com
805 637-6985
Santa Barbara Chocolate Company
santabarbarachocolate.com
888 812-6262
Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates
1445 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805 544-7759
sweetearthchocolates.com