• By Lynne Mitchell
• Posted Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Locavore Month is Here!

August marks the ten-year anniversary of the word “locavore” being selected as the 2007 Oxford American Dictionary’s word of the year. What better way to celebrate the anniversary of the word locavore than to have our own Locavore Challenge!

Can you be a locavore for a meal, an entire day or a week? When eating out, can you find a restaurant that sources their foods locally? Locavore food and beverages products include locally-grown vegetables, fruits, grains, beef, pork, chicken, eggs, cheese, baked goods, jams, jellies, fats and oils, salsas, beer, wine and fish caught in lakes, rivers, streams or coastal North Carolina. You might be wondering… why in the world would somebody want to go to all this trouble?

First of all, buying locally-grown foods supports our local economy. It is estimated that residents of North Carolina spend over $35 billion on food each year. If just ten percent of North Carolinians food budgets were spent on NC grown or produced foods, $3.5 billion would stay in our state economy. That is a lot of money!

It is good for our health! The less processed foods you eat, the better. Fruits and vegetables should make up half of our plate at mealtimes, so why not buy local? Shop at your local Farmers Market or ask the produce manager at the grocery store what they carry that is NC grown. There is no need to buy blueberries from New Jersey in summer when we grow them right here in NC!

Locally grown meats may cost a little more due to farming practices, but smaller portions of animal proteins on your plate is a good way to go, nutritionally speaking. Try eating more beans, lentils or nuts for your protein. Also, try to plan ahead and do more cooking at home with NC grown foods. Eating a healthy diet prevents disease and helps people with chronic health conditions better manage their disease.

Make the challenge fun – ask your family, friends, book club, faith community, or other group to join you in the locavore challenge! Loop in your social media friends by “checking in” at farmers’ markets, Instagramming (#LocavoreForsyth) your local food finds, and sharing your local experience.

In celebration of this challenge, the public is invited to join the Locavore Challenge potluck scheduled for Tuesday, August 8, 2017, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., at the Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Office located at 1450 Fairchild Road. Please bring a locavore dish to share.

For more information, contact Lynne Mitchell at mitchelm@forsyth.cc or by calling 336-703-3216.

Click here for a flyer listing Farmers Markets in Forsyth County.

Click here for photos taken at Locavore Potluck.