Think Globally, Eat Locally

Think Globally, Eat Locally

Summary

This project received seed money to plan and carry out a festival that educated members of a CSA about different ways to cook and serve vegetables they were receiving from the CSA.

Their specific goals were to:

1. Increase appreciation of and demand for their locally grown produce;

2. Educate members of their CSA and other local CSA’s, as well as shoppers at a local farmer’s market about ways to use their fresh vegetables; and

3. Create an event in which members and area residents would network and meet others who appreciate fresh food grown in a sustainable way to benefit the environment.

In mid-June, members of the Charlestown Cooperative Farm started planning the festival and contacting chefs. By working with an organization that connects local chefs and farmers, they were able to set a day and recruit a workable number of chefs for the event. Much of the project involved keeping detailed records of what activities were required to plan the festival, when they needed to be done, and the logistics that were involved in the project. A publication called “A Farmer’s Guide to Hosting a Local Foods Festival” came out of this project.

The festival itself was a success, attracting a large and enthusiastic crowd of over 200 people. Cooking demonstrations by the local chefs were very popular and allowed Charlestown Cooperative Farm to achieve their major objective of educating the public about preparing different types of vegetables. Unexpected benefits included networking among other local foods producers, resulting in increased business, and connecting consumers and chefs to build a larger sustainable local food network.

The festival was successful enough that the Charlestown Cooperative Farm has decided to make it an annual event.

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