Through the days of September 9-16, Salt Lake City will be hosting community celebrations for Eat Local Week. This celebration helps to highlight the importance of building connections with and awareness for where the food you put on your table comes from. Eat Local Week helps to foster appreciation for local agriculture and brings people together to aid in the preservation of Utah’s farming heritage. By hosting various activities in different cities around Utah, Eat Local Week is an education opportunity for people who want to learn more about how to eat locally by increasing awareness of local food production and how to increase Utahn access to healthy foods.
This year, Eat Local Week has managed to include a broader range of cities, including Moab. Moab has 10 restaurants that will be serving foods with at least three local products found on the menu. In addition, the Liberty Park Farmers Market is presenting their three year old program, called Double Up Food Bucks. This program provides low-income families with access to locally grown foods.
Nick Como, Senior Director of Communication and Marketing, says “all aspects of Eat Local Week are fun,” and “it is hard to pick a favorite event.” He added, “My favorite is probably the Quickle. Not only does it take place at the Tuesday market (4 PM at Pioneer Park), it’s a simple way to dip your toe in the proverbial waters of food preservation. I am also really excited about the Food Chains film — it’s a really important discussion we need to have as a society, starting as a community.”
One poignant part of Eat Local Week is the Eat Local Challenge. This event challenges people to consume foods and drinks that were made in a 250 mile radius around their home over the course of one week. The challenge is unique to each individual and can be crafted to each person’s level of desired strictness or specificity.
Eat Local Week is a wonderful opportunity to understand and proliferate Utah’s agricultural heritage. For more information on dates and times, please visit the following website: www.eatlocalweek.org.