Farmers markets and farm stands are bursting with fresh, local produce right now and through September. There is no better time to be a locavore – and to sign up for the NY Locavore Challenge.
The New York Locavore Challenge is a monthlong campaign sponsored by the Northeast Farming Association of New York. It’s free, it’s flexible and it’s designed to engage consumers across the state and encourage them to support the local organic food movement – for the month of September and hopefully well beyond.
New this year is “30 Challenges in 30
Days’’ – a challenge for each day of the month. Challenges range from the
simple – visit a local farmers market, farm stand or U-pick operation; dine at
a restaurant that sources food locally – to the more dedicated, like join a
local food co-op or sign up for a winter CSA share.
CLICK HERE to view and download the calendar.
The calendar offers lots of great ideas for those who are curious about eating more seasonal and local, but don’t know where to begin and more “experienced” locavores looking for new ideas.
Worth sharing again is the advice that Marty Butts, Community Education and Outreach Coordinator for NOFA-NY (and founder of Small Potatoes Sales and Marketing), shared with me for a story I wrote for the Syracuse New Times earlier this summer (Homegrown Is Hot):
Tip for eating local: “One of the things I always advise people getting
started to do, is to pick one item in their pantry and commit to going local
all the time with that product. Eggs, as an example, or locally roasted
coffee.”
But back to the Locavore Challenge: Won’t you join me? I signed up and am going to do my best to eat and/or drink local every day of the month. I'll Tweet about it, to be sure. What an adventure and pleasure eating local will be when we travel to Long Island wine country after Labor Day.
I’m thinking about hosting small, at-home Potluck Across New York get-together on Sept. 30 – or angling for an invitation to one. Because who doesn't like a potluck? A local one is even better yet.
Who's in? Leave a comment here!
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