The locavore movement – in which people eat food produced near their home to reduce their carbon footprint – is getting more and more popular.
From field to fork, the average dinner has travelled 1,500 miles. When you buy direct from local farmers, your dollars stay within your community and help strengthen the local economy.
Local Harvest Market Co., a regional food hub in Alexandria, is a new option in our area. It was formed by a group of West Central Minnesota producers and consumers, primarily to build a market bridge between local farmers and local producers.
This year-round “online farmers market” just opened its doors on November 6, and its growers produce fruits and vegetables, poultry, dairy and eggs, fish, honey and molasses, and grains.
Currently, nine producers are part of this online cooperative, but more are being added each month.
Local Harvest Market strives for “greater access to fresh, wholesome, locally grown food; a sustainable approach to food production and distribution; responsible stewardship of soil and water; consistent year-around availability of local foods; a reliable and profitable market for local growers and processors; education on the benefits of fresh local foods; how to cook and preserve them, and survival of family farms – when family farms thrive, so does our community.”
For more information, visit
www.localharvestmarket.co
LOCAL FOODS COLLEGE
The University of Minnesota Extension, Douglas County, will host the eight-session 2015 Local Foods College on Tuesdays from January 13 to March 3 at 6 p.m.
The webinar format allows participants to access the sessions from home or office locations. Topics include natural soil fertility, vegetable production, business planning, native pollinator/bee keeping, deep winter greenhouses and season extension, growing in small spaces, food hubs and farm to bottle.
The webinars are free; beginner vegetable grower manuals are available for $25. Registration is required. For more information, visit localfoods.umn.edu/college or call the Douglas County Extension office at (320) 762-3890.
