Submitted by: Sustainable Connections
From farm to plate and sea to table, celebrate local food with Sustainable Connections every week this September! In the height of harvest season, Eat Local Month is a reminder to celebrate the bounty in Whatcom’s backyard and support the folks who grow, raise and prepare our food by eating locally. This year the celebrations are bigger than ever with a new weekend long Food Fest and the expansion of the Whatcom County Farm Tour!
Each week comes with its own events, prizes and ways to delight in local foods and flavors:
Farm Week: Sept. 3 – 9
Sept. 3: Farm Fund Hootenanny: Kick off Eat Local Month with the Farm Fund Hootenanny, which will feature live music and local farmer awards.
Sept. 8 – 10: Whatcom Food Fest: Eat your way through the weekend with the Whatcom Food Fest, a new event that will feature six distinct events, including a Farm Tour Brunch at Goat Mountain Pizza and a Farms, Fishers and Fermentation Fete at Boundary Bay.
Sept 9 – 10: Whatcom Farm Tour: The 10th annual Whatcom County Farm Tour – also a part of the Food Fest, has expanded to both Saturday and Sunday, featuring thirteen farms across Whatcom County with a mix of veggie, meat, cheese, berry and flower producers! Free, family friendly and self-guided.
Market Week: Sept. 10 – 16
Sept. 16: Downtown Market Walk: An exploration of Bellingham’s local food scene. Partake in a self-guided tour that showcases the best of downtown’s local grocers, markets and specialty food shops and play “market walk” bingo for the chance to win big in local food prizes. All throughout the week, shop at participating grocers and markets, spend $10 on local products and get your Eat Local Month passport stamped for a chance to win one of five locavore prize packs.
Seafood Week: Sept. 17 – 23
Sept. 23: SeaFeast: Learn about our maritime heritage and internationally renowned fishing and seafood industries at this year’s Seafeast, a free weekend-long event where you are sure to leave with a full belly and a new appreciation for the fishing industry that distinguishes our little corner of the Pacific Northwest. All throughout the week, shop at participating seafood retailers, spend $10 on local products and get your Eat Local Month passport stamped for a chance to win one of five locavore prize packs.
Restaurant Week: Sept. 24 – 30
All week, dine with participating Whatcom restaurants to try their local specials (made with 50 percent or more local ingredients!) to get a stamp on your Eat Local Month passport! There are 19 restaurants participating that are excited to show you just how incredible local food can be.
Pick up your own Farm Tour & Eat Local Month Guide, which includes a Farm Tour map with stop descriptions, participating Eat Local Month restaurants and a calendar of Eat Local Month events. The Guide can be found at the Community Food Co-op, Village Books, Public Libraries, farmers markets, Whatcom Farmers Co-op stores, participating restaurants, local newspapers and online at eatlocalfirst.org.
