The Local Matters E-Newsletter 

Volume I, Issue 3

July/August 2010

Dear Friends,

The summer growing season is finally moving into full swing and with it great flavors are bursting from the fields.  It's a great time to visit your local farmer's market to shake the hand that feeds you and say thanks for all their hard work during a year where swings in the weather have created challenges for many.

While savoring the tastes of summer, we're also looking towards fall as we plan a range of exciting activities for Local Foods Week from October 1-8, 2010.  Save those dates and stay tuned for details on our Eat Local Challenge.  Start practicing all the ways you can eat closer to home... we dare you!

As we shared with you in a special note last week, we have a commitment from the musician Jack Johnson to double every donation made to Local Matters between now and October 15^th (up to $2,500).  Additionally, we'll be giving away one pair of tickets to his July 21st concert each day this week to our newsletter subscribers (that's you) and supporters.  If you haven't yet become one of the 1000 Friends of Local Matters, joining now (or renewing your pledge) has the added benefit of giving you an even better shot at winning a pair of tickets.

Over the last two months our staff has shared insights on local food around Central Ohio through events at the Worthington Library, ComFest, and even a "lunch and learn" for Scotts Company employees.  More recently we've added other food events from partner organizations to our event calendar for your planning pleasure.

Cheers to collectively moving one step closer to a more delicious, prosperous and healthy community one bite at a time! 

Be well,

Michael Jones

P.S. Please take a moment now to support our work to teach children a positive relationship to fresh foods and to make delicious local foods accessible to everyone in Central Ohio.  And watch this video about our work for some added inspiration.

P.P.S. Let’s celebrate the impressive gang of local food heroes from Central Ohio that Slow Food has honored as delegates to the international Terra Madre conference in Italy.  We know they’ll do a fine job representing our local foodshed.  You can support their participation at one of Slow Food Columbus’ events this summer.

"Ohio Grown" is Elementary
This summer, our Food is Elementary staff has been reworking our curriculum's lessons in order to better feature Ohio as a great place to grow, cook and eat delicious foods.  During the school year, young children in our program will learn about foods grown close to home by exploring, cooking and eating some of the delicious and nutritious foods of our great state!  In the words of one of our Food Is Elementary students, Ohio foods "help [us] run faster, think good and grow taller."  We couldn’t agree more. 

Veggie Van Project
This summer we’re taking an opportunity to fine-tune our model for distributing local foods to underserved communities by running a number of demonstration projects around town.  During the height of the summer growing season, the Veggie Van is delivering low-cost Weekly Fresh Market bags to partners in need, distributing locally-grown wholesale fruits and vegetables to smaller neighborhood markets, providing support to community garden food stands and augmenting the supply of healthful fresh options at smaller food pantries. All along the way we're studying our impact to make sure that our strategies are working. The Veggie Van project is an important reminder that our communities need access to fresh, healthful food every day of the week.

A Farm Stand Grows in Franklinton
Our friends at Franklinton Gardens have taken on the laudable task of bringing affordable fresh food to their community.  They are growing food on four plots of land in the neighborhood and have set up a market stand to sell low cost foods to community members. Volunteers are keeping their market up and running during the week and helping to maintain the gardens.  Local Matters is assisting in their efforts with direct support, counsel, and by providing some additional produce from The Greener Grocer to keep the stand flush while their gardens continue grow. As chef Dan Barber puts it, “how do we create the conditions so that a community can feed itself?”  The Franklinton Gardens farm stand offers one answer.

In the Media
Recent Stories Featuring Local Matters

Dispatch on Local Food in Restaurants
The Columbus Dispatch filed this recent article on the cover of their Sunday business section about the local food movement.

All Sides on School Food
Ann Fisher hosted a fabulous conversation about school food with our own Noreen Warnock in the studio in June. One key finding: it helps to have parents speak out!

614 Magazine's Food Issue
614 Magazine featured a story about our work to transform the food system in their recent food issue.

Newark Advocate on a Community Garden
Local Matters' Susan Weber played midwife to the 6th St and Growing Garden in Newark, OH. Here's the story of its rebirth.