Localvore call spurs week of events, series
By Sally Pollak, Free Press Staff Writer • Friday, August 20, 2010
And the people of Vermont said: Let them eat local!
(At least some people said something like that.)
The 2010 Eat Local Week, sponsored by City Market in Burlington and the Burlington Free Press, is Sept. 11 through Sept. 19.
Organizers are encouraging Vermonters to eat food raised or produced in Vermont, and are planning events to encourage and celebrate local farming and food, said Meg Klepack, local foods coordinator at City Market.
“We want to bring people out of their kitchens into something that is more community-wide and celebratory,” Klepack said.
Throughout the week, there will be events that recognize and celebrate Vermont’s agricultural bounty.
Activities range from workshops about drying and canning produce to gleaning vegetables at Intervale farms for donation to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf.
Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Allbee plans to do a lot of localvore eating during the week, according to department spokesperson Kelly Loftus. He notes a resurgence of interest in local foods, and the consequent benefits to Vermont.
“Vermont is experiencing what I call a ‘Renaissance of the Past’ — consumers want to know where their food comes from and how it is grown,” Allbee said in an e-mail. “They also want that connection with our farmers who produce fresh, local products.
“Over the past three years I have challenged my counterparts in each state to an Eat Local Challenge to highlight the benefits of buying local to our communities and economies.”
In addition to numerous localvore events and activities throughout the week, there will be a competitive element. People can earn points for participating in certain events — and win a chance at a raffle drawing with two prizes: a $250 gift card at City Market, and $250 worth of tokens at Burlington Farmers Market.
Each event you attend, and each localvore meal you cook and eat at home, is worth 25 points. People who score at least 100 points are eligible for entry in the raffle. Scorecards are available at City Market, and must be returned to the store, filled out, by Sept. 20.)
Starting today and continuing for the four weeks leading up to Eat Local Week, the Free Press will publish information about local foods. We will provide information about what’s available and where, and who the growers are.
We begin this week with a look at local meats.
In future Savorvore editions, we will write about Vermont dairy products, local produce and miscellaneous localvore products such as honey, oil and grain.
The newspaper will publish recipes that feature one of the weekly ingredients, with hopes that more and more Vermonters will discover the flavor and nutritional value of eating local food. And the satisfaction that comes with eating food grown by your neighbor, or your cousin, or even yourself.
There are no benchmarks or requirements for this year’s eat local week — just pack in as many Vermont potatoes as you can.
With a tip of the hat to Vermont farmers, we raise our forks to farm-fresh food.
Information: www.eatlocalvt.com.
Read more: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100820/LIVING06/100820023/Localvore-call-spurs-week-of-events-series#ixzz0xX3pVGYq
