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The Time Is Ripe!
Western Pennsylvania to Celebrate Third Annual Local Food Week September 21-27
Celebrate local flavor at its peak all week with the third annual Local Food Week in Western Pennsylvania, September 21-27. Consumers are becoming more and more interested in an "authentic" as well as healthy food experience, and this involves knowing more about WHERE their food comes from, HOW it was produced, and WHO produced it. A revelry of locally-grown, seasonal foods and the people who produce them, Local Food Week is a perfect opportunity to highlight the bounty of quality local ingredients found right here in our own backyards.
Presented by the Buy Fresh Buy Local® program of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), Local Food Week will demonstrate how important ensuring a vibrant local food community has become to our region with exciting, tasty and educational opportunities spotlighting local foods, businesses and producers across Western Pennsylvania. If every household in Western Pennsylvania spent $10 a week on regionally-produced food, $15 million dollars would stay in the local economy each week. That's $60 million every month, and over $700 million per year! Spending money on local food not only sustains our economy, it provides us with greater nutrition, preserves family farms, generates job opportunities, and beautifies the rural and urban landscape. And don't forget that locally grown foods are likely to be fresher, tastier and safer for you and your family. Learn more about local food by attending one of our many events throughout this exciting week.
The culmination of Local Food Week, at the peak of our growing season, will be celebrated in style with PASA's regional Harvest Celebration Benefit Dinner on Saturday, September 27. Experience a bountiful display of locally grown food, expertly created by a collection of Parkhurst Dining Services executive chefs. Accompanied by Pennsylvania craft beers and varietal wines, the evening promises to be a feast for your senses. For an invitation call 412-697-0411 to speak with Julie.
The schedule of Local Food Week's fantastic events also includes:
Kick off Local Food Week at the East End Food Co-op's Art Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 21. Community, food, music and art will be the order of the day as they throw their third annual arts fair right in front of the store, located at 7516 Meade Street in Point Breeze.
All week long the Turtle Tree Cafe in Greensburg will be selling pottery bowls, hand-crafted by artisans of the Mustard Seed Gallery, full of local soups and salads in the café. Bowls full o' food will cost $8 and all proceeds benefit the local farmers supplying the harvest and the local potters, you get to the keep the ceramic bowl!
Come see the award winning documentary about two recent college kids who set out to discover where America's food comes from when they plant a single acre of corn and follow it from seed to the dinner plate! The King Corn film screening will take place at brillobox Bar on Sunday, September 21, and feature a presentation and samples of Pennsylvania's own local, libation: Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka. During the screening alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase, including LOCAL WHITE RUSSIANS featuring Boyd & Blair Vodka + Turner Dairy Farms cream! Admission to the film screening (7:30pm) is free, donations accepted, and doors open at 7pm. Seating limited!
On Monday, September 22, Brandy Stewart of Soba Restaurant will host Amy McConnell-Schaarsmith of McConnell's Farm for an exceptional farm to chef prix fixe dinner. This five-course menu ($45) will heavily feature the product from local farmers. At each event, guest will meet the farmer and chef and enjoy great food. For more information or to make your reservation, visit: http://www.bigburrito.com/soba/index.shtml
Turner Dairy Farms is literally bringing a dairy farmer to you. Being able to shake the hand of a farmer whose milk you drink or produce you eat is an extremely powerful act and one which helps conscious consumers (and locavores) connect with the food they eat. On Tuesday, September 23rd they will be making stops throughout Pittsburgh to introduce one of their dairy farmers to area locavores. Shake her hand, see pictures of her farm and discuss your love of local food.
Take a walk on the wild side by joining Melissa Sokulski, herbalist and acupuncturist of The Birch Center for Health, for a wild edible walk. Identify edible wild plants, which often have many times the nutritional value of even organically grown food, and sample sumac lemonade, receive recipes and handouts to help you recognize the plants on your own. The walk begins at the South Side River Trail on Saturday, September 27 at 10:00 am.
Look for the Buy Fresh Buy Local® table at these events and more to purchase tickets for the PASA Book Fair at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at the South Side Works on October 4. All you need is a coupon to present at the register when you make a purchase, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit PASA and their efforts to sustain local food in your community. The day will include author signings and cooking demonstrations by Chef Barbara Kleyman with fine, local produce donated by Penns Corner Farm Alliance - Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
The time is ripe to taste the season's best right here at home. For more information about this wonderful week-long series of events, please visit the Southwest PA page on the Buy Fresh Buy Local® website, www.buylocalpa.org, or contact the regional PASA office at 412-246-0990.
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