Rhody Eat Beat
Rebecca Long
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
02/15/08 - What could bring together more than 100 people, including farmers, artisan food producers, chefs, restaurant owners, school food service providers, journalists, retailers and advocates from many organizations on a rainy Tuesday in Providence, R. I.?
The reason: a passion for the local foods movement. The catalyst: the Fourth Annual Rhode Island Local Food Forum. The event took place Feb. 5 at Brown University with the goal of "growing the year-round marketplace for local food."
After a breakfast that included local products like Hill Orchard's apple cider, Ken Ayars, the chief of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's Division of Agriculture, reported some astounding statistics from the last year in the local food movement.
More than $300,000 in low-income coupons were redeemed at local farmers' markets. Last year also saw the first artisan cheese produced in Rhode Island since colonial times and the first year-round farmers' market. He also reported that last year, 28 of 36 Rhode Island school districts bought from local farmers.
Noah Fulmer, the executive director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island, explained that his organization has created the Rhode Island Fresh Network to promote awareness of local products. More information can be found at www.farmfresh.org, which lists what local products are in season and where they can be found.
Farm Fresh RI also runs six farmers' markets in Providence that bring together urban consumers and farmers. The newest market operates year-round and is held Saturdays at AS220. In its early stages is a project to purchase a year-round space that would include retail and wholesale space for farmers.
Also discussed was the possibility of a commercial kitchen where upstart or smaller producers could come to make their products and use equipment they might otherwise not be able to afford. The facility could also include classroom and storage space. This space could serve as a hub for the local food economy.
The reason: a passion for the local foods movement. The catalyst: the Fourth Annual Rhode Island Local Food Forum. The event took place Feb. 5 at Brown University with the goal of "growing the year-round marketplace for local food."
After a breakfast that included local products like Hill Orchard's apple cider, Ken Ayars, the chief of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's Division of Agriculture, reported some astounding statistics from the last year in the local food movement.
More than $300,000 in low-income coupons were redeemed at local farmers' markets. Last year also saw the first artisan cheese produced in Rhode Island since colonial times and the first year-round farmers' market. He also reported that last year, 28 of 36 Rhode Island school districts bought from local farmers.
Noah Fulmer, the executive director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island, explained that his organization has created the Rhode Island Fresh Network to promote awareness of local products. More information can be found at www.farmfresh.org, which lists what local products are in season and where they can be found.
Farm Fresh RI also runs six farmers' markets in Providence that bring together urban consumers and farmers. The newest market operates year-round and is held Saturdays at AS220. In its early stages is a project to purchase a year-round space that would include retail and wholesale space for farmers.
Also discussed was the possibility of a commercial kitchen where upstart or smaller producers could come to make their products and use equipment they might otherwise not be able to afford. The facility could also include classroom and storage space. This space could serve as a hub for the local food economy.