Eat Local Spokane

Tentative Calendar of Events

Here's the tentative calendar of events so far for the Spokane Eat Local Challenge:

• All the area Farmers Markets are weekly events
• 9/4/08 Futurewise Feast with Friends – protecting farmland by celebrating some of the best regional cuisine & libations, 6:30-9:30pm at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars
  RSVP by 9/1 at 509.838.1965, www.futurewise.org/spokane
• 9/13, East End Neighborhood Street Fair, Launch of Main Market Co-op Memberships!
• 9/13 – Fresh Abundance Grand Opening Event – Division Location
• 9/14 – Main Market Co-op last of the 2008 series IN THE FIELD at Zakarison Farm in Pullman.  A multi-generational farm, now transitioning to organic and even more impressive, exploring methods of farming that use less fuel... Committed to stewarding our land, producing healthy food and conserving our resources... Meet the director of the new WSU organic farming program too!  Purchase tickets on the “Learn” page of www.mainmarket.coop by 9/12/08.
• 9/24 –
• Slow Food Spokane River Salmon Nation Dinner at Hill’s Restaurant & Lounge
  Food from local farmers & fisherman, https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/41305
• 9/25 – 9/27 – Sustainable Food Film Festival, Eat With You Own Eyes
  WA Sustainable Food & Farming Network and Slow Food Spokane River fundraiser event with 3 film-maker screenings and first release and author signing of Chefs on the Farm, from Quillisascut Farm. https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/41314. Download eat_with_your_eyes1.pdf  brochure.
• 11/1-11/2 - Gleaning at Greenbluff 2nd Harvest event

We are also pulling together some gift certificates, and prizes to encourage people to take the challenge. Let me know if you have something to offer.

Welcome to Eat Local Spokane and the Eat Local Challenge

Eat Local Spokane is a fledgling hub of information about the local food movement in the Spokane area, and specifically the Spokane Eat Local Challenge, in which residents of the Spokane area are encouraged to explore and discover the rhythms of eating local food during the month of September 2008 and beyond.

This month-long challenge is modeled after similar projects in the San Francisco area, Portland, and elsewhere.

Spokane Eat Local Challenge Goals:

• Promote the benefits of local food consumption. There are many great lists describing these benefits. The original list is here at www.eatlocalchallenge.com. Another good one is here at the www.100milediet.org. For some variations on that go here and here. There is one floating around area farmers markets provided by WSU small farms team.
• Promote area farmers markets, businesses, farms, restaurants and groceries that offer local foods to area residents.
• Encourage more businesses, restaurants and groceries to source foods locally.
• Instigate new patterns of sustainable consumption among residents of the Spokane area.
• Initiate an ongoing collaboration of diverse community partners, working for a healthy community through the consumption of local foods.

Spokane Eat Local Challenge Strategies:

• Eat Local Spokane blog, with multiple authors posting regularly during September about experiences eating locally.
• Sign-up people to take the challenge through the web site. The site will help people define their own challenge whether it is a strict 100 mile diet or one meal a week.
• Promotional and special events at restaurants, farms, farmer's markets, and grocery stores. This is limited only by the creativity and initiative of Challenge partners. This could be a tasting of Eastern Washington beers at Bottles in Millwood, a special event at a Latah Bistro celebrating local ingredients, a promo at Yokes selling Siemers Farm winter squash, or a Master Food Preserver presentation at Greenbluff on how to preserve local foods. All events will be promoted on the web site through a calendar of events.
• A booth at area Farmers Markets at the end of August and through September with a large Spokane Eat Local Challenge Banner, brochures, sign-ups for the challenge, and trained people to share about the benefits of eating locally.
• A booth at Valleyfest as described above.
• Working with the Spokesman Review and the Inlander to get the word out.
• Is it too late to do something at the County Fair?

Spokane Eat Local Challenge Needs:

• Five bloggers to regularly post to the blog, preferably folks who have a little experience with blogs.
• People to staff the booths including set up and take down.
• Some funds to buy the banners.
• Ideas for additional strategies.
• Creative and proactive people to fill up the calendar of events.
• Someone who is  good at press releases and media relations.

Please contact me with questions and ideas here.

This intiative has arisen out of my family's experience over the last seven months of eating locally and the many friendships that have grown from that experience. You can read more about it at www.yearofplenty.org.