Eat Local, America! starts this August. Hosted by natural food co-ops nationwide, including Valley Natural Foods, this initiative highlights the great taste of local food while celebrating our communities’ farmers and other food producers who make it all possible.

As you know, the first-ever Eat Local! Farm Tour, sponsored by 9 Twin Cities Co-ops, including Valley Natural Foods, will kick-off this initiative on Saturday, July 30th.

Continue the eating local  celebration and the lazy days of summer in Valley Natural Foods’ Co-op Community Gardens on August 2nd for the Night to Unite and on  August 6th for Community Gardening Day!

On August 2nd, from 6-8pm, come to the co-op and experience our garden tours. Discover our edible landscaping, our mandala gardens and our container gardens. Also enjoy FREE watermelon slices and cold lemonade.

On August 6th from 11-2pm, come and meet our community gardeners in our co-op’s first ever participation in the  Gardening Matters’ Community Gardening Day. Over 50 Twin Cities community gardens are on the tour and everyone has fun, different activities available! Be sure to check out the  official map of all  the garden locations and  festivities available.

Our festivities include getting a chance to meet and talk gardening with our community gardeners along with enjoying a live garden recipe demonstration and FREE samples with local gardener and healthy food instructor, Loris Sofia Gregory. We will have FREE fair-trade coffee, cold beverages and glad corn available too.  Loris will be starting a new ‘F.R.E.S.H. and Local Class Series at Valley Natural Foods every third Tuesday of the month from 6:30-8:30 p.m, starting August 16th through Novemer. Cost is $15.00 for members and $18.00 for non-members. Sign-up at customer service or by calling 952-891-1212, ext. 221.

These interactive coaching classes will focus on creating and enjoying seasonal local economical meals every day, including exploring the produce department and beyond, new and featured local foods, farmer-partner profiles, simple prep ideas and recipes, menu planning, storing and preserving tips. These classes are for YOU and will respond to what you need and ask for related to fresh local eating.

Tags: community gardens, Education, night to unite

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 27th, 2011 at 2:26 pm and is filed under Co-op Community Gardens, Education, Healthy Updates Newsletter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.