Think Globally, Eat Locally

As part of the 4th Annual Eat Local Month, sign up is now open for Lowcountry Local First’s Eat Local Challenge, which will take place during the month of April and is open to businesses and individuals.
The goal of the Eat Local Challenge is to help consumers make the shift in their choices and their spending towards local in order to cultivate a strong local economy. The Eat Local Challenge asks participants to pledge to shift $10 of their weekly spending toward locally sourced food, drink, and Lowcountry grown specialty crops, which include fruits and vegetables.
Although agribusiness is South Carolina’s largest industry, we still import more than 90 percent of our food with the average meal traveling more than 1,500 miles to get to our plates.
Throughout the month, and with support from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Lowcountry Local First will offer participants resources, recipe ideas, and tips for success in eating locally. Lowcountry Local First defines “local food” as that of which is grown, produced or sourced as close to home as possible and within the state of South Carolina.
“With increasing opportunities that link local food and consumers like farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSAs), and local sections in grocery stores, we hope participants will find that taking steps toward eating locally can work for everyone,” says West Ashley resident Jamee Haley, Executive Director for Lowcountry Local First.
The Eat Local Challenge will officially kick off on Wednesday, April 1 with the Eat Local Challenge TweetUp, and conclude on April 30th. Individuals and teams will use provided scorecards to track their financial shift and daily habits. Prizes will be awarded to those who accumulate the most points, and the top team will be presented with The Golden Shovel.
Lowcountry Local First will host a finale event at Dirt Works Incubator Farm on May 16 for all Eat Local Challenge participants and supporters, announcing award recipients and the total economic shift to local food.
For more information or to sign up visit www.lowcountrylocalfirst.org.