Local Food and Farming in September
CLALLAM AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, July 8, 2021 – With the 2021 growing season underway, farmers markets in full-swing and communities reopening, the Eat Local First Olympic Peninsula Collaborative is pleased to announce September is Eat Local First month. This is the second year the Collaborative will sponsor this campaign. Partners in the Collaborative include The Food Coop, Port Townsend, Jefferson County Farmers Markets, North Olympic Development Council, Olympic Culinary Loop, Washington State University Extension Regional Small Farms Programs and The Local Food Trust. This year, Eat Local First Olympic Peninsula will join the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) and thirty other partners to highlight Eat Local First months happening around the country during August and September.
Campaign promotion will be done through various social media online channels and through the Collaborative’s website https://eatlocalfirstolypen.com Applications to participate in the campaign are now being accepted. To register please visit https://eatlocalfirstolypen.com/application-form/
Producers, businesses and community organizations that promote locally sourced food are also encouraged to create a profile or update their existing one on the Washington Food and Farm Finder.
Throughout the month each day of the week will feature businesses and organizations committed to engaging consumers about local food resources and availability:
| Sunday | Farmers & Producers – get to know who is growing and producing the food we love from the region we love – on farm activities, classes offered, tours, overnight stays, CSA offerings, etc. |
| Monday | Retail – one stop shopping and sourcing for all your favorite local food and discover the relationships retailers have with farmers and producers in the region. |
| Tuesday | Eating Local on a Budget – how everyone can access healthy, fresh and local food through food banks, gleaning programs, and SNAP Ed-Extension classes. |
| Wednesday | Get to Know Local – What “local” means to us with respect to food/agriculture, why it is important, highlight interesting products people may not know we are growing, producing, foraging in our region. |
| Thursday | Take Out Thursdays – how to support local restaurants, creative take-out options and where and how to sit down is safely! |
| Friday | Seafood – where to find your favorite seafood, who is catching it, where to buy it and menu specials. |
| Saturday | Farmers Markets, farm stands – hours and days of operation for these venues, visit with friends and neighbors and celebrate community! |
Through our social media outreach the community will be invited to connect with our region’s local food system through farmers and farm stands, restaurants, farmers markets, local grocers and retailers, food banks, seafood producers, and more. Consumers from across the region will be encouraged to post and share photos about their love for and experience with local food for a chance to win a number of prizes including, a picnic basket fill with locally sourced treats and dinner and a hotel stay on the Olympic Peninsula.
September is a great time to enjoy the bounty of goodies produced by our many local farms. From fresh dairy products, to delicious vegetables and fruits, to high quality meat and eggs, shoppers can meet virtually all their grocery needs buying directly from farms and local retailers right here on the Olympic Peninsula. By supporting local farmers, consumers are building meaningful relationships with the people who grow their food, they are ensuring more dollars stay in our local communities, and they are supporting the health and longevity of our farmland for many years to come.
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Links
Website: https://eatlocalfirstolypen.com/
Eat Local First Month Application Form: https://eatlocalfirstolypen.com/application-form/
WA Food & Farm Finder: eatlocalfirst.org/wa-food-farm-finder