In case you missed it, check out this great summary of a few Eat Local projects going and growing in Central Louisiana. This grass roots effort to develop more demand and access to fresh, local produce was supported through our Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana grant program (via the Central Louisiana Local Foods Initiative).
By John Cotton Dean
Central Louisiana Local Foods initiative
From Grant and Vernon Parishes to Natchitoches and Catahoula Parishes, the local food movement continues to strengthen. This strengthening of the movement is in large part due to the work of Central Louisiana’s Eat Local groups.
On Saturday, June 6th, the Colfax Farmers Market opened for its third consecutive year. Resulting from the grassroots work of Eat Local Grant, the market has continued to grow each year. “The support from the surrounding community has been invaluable for our continued growth,” says Grant Parish farmer Karen Richardson.
In Catahoula Parish, Eat Local Catahoula is working with the Town of Jonesville to incorporate the recently adopted Local Food and Community Self-Governance Ordinance into the town’s long-term economic development plan.
Yet anther lasting project that came out of an Eat Local group is the Natchitoches Community Table, which is led by Eat Local Natchitoches. The Community Table allows local growers to cooperatively sell their produce, no matter what and how much they have available, each week. Find the Natchitoches Community Table each Saturday at Natchitoches’ Cane River Green Market.
And finally, as discussed more in-depth in recent newsletters, Eat Local Vernon and Leesville’s Main Street Market and Garden on Third continues to develop as a local food resource for the community.
Are you interested in joining or starting your own Eat Local group? Learn more about the above projects and how you can be more involved this year at www.freshcentral.org.
This article first appeared in the All Things Local Food in Central Louisiana regional diets, an online newsletter highlighting programs supporting the local foods movement in Central La. The newsletter is also made possible by Challenge Grant funding and the Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.