Eat Local Month offers scrumptious series of events

Media contact: Sara Southerland, Food & Farming Outreach Coordinator sara@sconnect.org, (360) 647.7093 x114
          
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         
August 19, 2011 – Bellingham, WA

Eat Local Month offers scrumptious series of events

Bellingham, WA – September is Whatcom County’s first ever Eat Local Month, a flavorful and festive way to connect residents to local food and farms.

Organized in relation to a new Eat Local First initiative of Sustainable Connections, the month long celebration will feature events like the 4th Annual Whatcom County Farm Tour, speaker and book events, featured restaurants that support local farmers, Farm to School celebrations, a Co-op hosted all local barbeque and more.

“We wanted a chance to highlight the community of businesses and non-profit partners who do so much to support local farmers, and to put on one month-long bash to get more people connected, excited and inspired to eat food grown and raised locally all year long,” says Laura Ridenour, Sustainable Connections’ Food & Farming manager.

With the ever-popular Whatcom County Farm Tour on the second Saturday in September, 14 localicious restaurants and over 20 edible events, Eat Local Month is chock full of opportunity for scrumptious local food explorations.

 “Seasonal, nutritious and delicious locally produced food is in abundance at the height of summer,” Ridenour said.  “It’s the perfect time to celebrate the farmers, fishers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs and cooks who work so hard to bring us this goodness, in all kinds of weather year-round.”

One new way to get involved in the festivities includes a “Local Food in Action” Photo Contest. Participants can capture local foods in action with a photograph or video, in a variety of settings – whether on the Farm Tour, at a featured restaurant, farmers market, or grocery store, with the farmers that grew it, or a picture of you eating or preparing local food at your home table. Entries are accepted throughout September and will be judged at the end of the month by ‘likes’ on Facebook for a number of prizes.

“We’re lucky --Whatcom County and our region offers great year-round abundant options fresh, frozen or home-preserved like hearty vegetables, milk, cheeses, butter, eggs, nuts, fruits, fish, chicken, lamb, beef, pork, canned goods and so much more are available directly from small sustainable family farms and fishers,” Ridenour said.

An Eat Local Month and Farm Tour Guide with the juicy details of all 20 events, which include restaurants and cafes that support local farmers, and directions to the Farm Tour stops will be available starting August 30, both online and at the downtown and Cordata Community Food Co-op stores, Bellingham Saturday Farmers Market, Village Books, Haggen stores in Whatcom, and the Bellingham, Ferndale and Lynden Visitors Centers.

September Eat Local Month event listings

Sept 3
 Eat Local First Campaign Launch, Sustainable Connections booth
10am-3pm, Bellingham Farmers Market

Sept 4-10
Eat Local First Featured Restaurants
North Fork Brewery and Beer Shrine
Pizza’zza
Avenue Bread (all locations)

Sept 7
Lynda Hopkins, The Wisdom of the Radish
3pm, Village Books

Sept 9
Amy Pennington, Apartment Gardening
7pm, Village Books

Sept 10
4th Annual Whatcom County Farm Tour

Sept 11-17
Eat Local First Featured Restaurants
The Table by Bellingham Pasta Company
Old World Deli

Celebrate Washington Organic Week
with Terra Organica - the county’s only all-organic produce department!

Sept 12
Frances Moore Lappé, Ecomind
5pm, Reception - $20
7pm, Book Talk & Signing - Free

Sept 15
Incognito Dinner, Ciao Thyme in the Kitchen
6pm, $45

Sept 17
Eat Local First BBQ & festivities,
Cordata Community Food Co-op
11am-2pm

One Potato, Two Potato: Potato Digging & Cooking Party
Common Threads Farm
2-4pm

Sept 18-24
Eat Local First Featured Restaurants
Brandywine Kitchen
Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen
The Temple Bar
Pure Bliss Desserts

Sept 22
Incognito Dinner, Ciao Thyme in the Kitchen
6pm, $45

Sept 24
Chef in the Market & Kids Day at the Market, Bellingham Farmers Market
11am-1pm

Sept 25
Garden to Garden Community Bike Tour, Common Threads Farm
1pm

Sept 25- Oct 1
Eat Local First Featured Restaurants
Old Town Café
Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro
The Fountain Bistro
Prospect Street Café

Sept 28
Celebrate Taste Washington Day & Whatcom Farm to School
Fairhaven Farmers Market
12-5pm

Sept 29
Mediterranean Harvest
Cooking Class, Community Food Co-op
6-8pm, $35

… and that’s not all…

Oct 1-2
Cloud Mountain Farm Center Fall Fruit Festival
Oct 1: 10am-5pm
Oct 2: 11am-4pm


Eat Local Month is a project of Sustainable Connections’ Food & Farming Program with the support of key partners the Community Food Co-op, Village Books, Common Threads Farm, Whatcom Farm to School, local restaurants, groceries, cafes, farmers and many sponsors. For more information about the Eat Local First campaign, and for times and costs of events, see the September Eat Local Month Guide, www.eatlocalfirst.org and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eatlocalfirst

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