Buy Fresh Buy Local
Apr 11, 2022
We were on the Zoom screen for a conversation today with French Price, Value Chain Coordinator for Virginia Cooperative Extension's Buy Fresh Buy Local program.
French explained how the program worked and told us how important & far-reaching farming is to our communities. Buy Fresh Buy Local Shenandoah Valley supports local farms, retailers, restaurants and food businesses by promoting local farm and food products to consumers.
She gave us several reasons to Buy Fresh Buy Local:
- Locally grown and produced foods from Shenandoah Valley are fresh, delicious, and abundant.
- Buying local supports the Shenandoah Valley economy and our family farms.
- Buying locally grown and produced foods allows you to choose food from farmers you can know and trust.
- Buying local is easy.
She also told us about the wide range of farm-related businesses that can be listed in the guide:
- Farms & Producers
The family farms and orchards featured in this guide are producing fresh healthy food in ways that benefit the community and the environment. - Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ markets have the freshest foods and greatest seasonal variety that can be found. Farmers’ markets are also the best place to meet a farmer. Each market is different — reflecting the desires of the local community and the farming conditions of the area. They all provide a direct connection between the farmer and the consumer and have the freshest, healthiest food available. - Retailers
These grocers, co-ops, and butchers are committed to buying and featuring locally produced foods. Many of these participating stores are campaign partners and display the Buy Fresh Buy Local logo. Look for this logo at your favorite store and be sure to ask for local food wherever you shop. - Restaurants
These restaurants, bakeries and caterers have made the special effort to connect with local farms to serve the freshest and healthiest food available so you can enjoy the great taste of regional cuisine. Ask for local foods at your next dinner outing or for your next event and eat the freshest foods while supporting local farm families. - Value-Added Producers
Local food isn’t just available from the farm. Over the years small businesses focused on processing local farm ingredients into value-added products like jams, jellies, salsas, fermented vegetables, kombucha, breads, etc have become a significant sector of our food system. These value-added producers strive to source local ingredients to use in their products. - Specialty Beverages
From luscious reds and tangy ciders to bubbly brews, the guide has your local beverage sourcing covered. Grapes, apples, hops, and grains grown in Virginia soil are used to produce some of the finest specialty beverages, and these vineyards, cideries, breweries, and distilleries are part of the Buy Fresh Buy Local program.
Being listed in the guide is free and the process can be started by clicking here.
You can view the online guide by clicking here and look for printed guides possibly later this summer.