Stop by a farmers’ market on any summer Saturday and you’re likely to find a hive of activity. Stalls overflow with locally grown and produced food, while shoppers smell, taste and talk about what is in season. This August, Oregon Food Bank is challenging everyone to look for and purchase more local foods. The Local Food Challenge is designed to get people thinking about their food sources and connect with their community. Local means items grown, raised or caught within 200 miles of their residences. Anyone can participate by pledging to spend at least ten percent of their food budget on locally grown foods for 31 days. “Our goal is to get people to think about where their food comes from, strengthen local farms and explore new tastes and recipes,” says Oregon Food Bank CEO Susannah Morgan. “This is about giving every community food system a boost. We believe a strong community food system will help decrease the number of people who are hungry.” A strong community food system empowers and engages all members to work together to ensure everyone has enough to eat. Signing up for the Local Food Challenge is simple. 1) Visit www.oregonfoodbank.org/localfoodchallenge and create a profile. 2) Estimate the amount you spend on groceries each month. 3) Choose the percentage of your food budget you want to dedicate to locally grown food. 4) Logon to your account after every shopping trip to record the amount you spent locally. We’ll do the math to let you know if you’re on track to meet your goal. To learn more visit www.oregonfoodbank.org/localfoodchallenge where there are links to healthy recipes along with guides to farmers’ markets and produce stands. Special thanks to Flowerpot Media (www.flowerpotmedia.com) for creating and supporting the website.
