Celebrating Local Food

Did you know that because we as a nation do not eat the right foods that our children will have shorter life spans then we do? All it takes is a little effort to find food that is good for you, and is grown locally. On Saturday we celebrated the opening of the Downtown Farmer's Market in Lumberton. As part of the celebration the entire Robeson County Extension Staff pulled out all the stops and had a dozy of a local foods celebration.

Prep work started long before the event with veggies being donated by local farmers. Our resident healthy cooking guru, Janice Fields, Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agent created some really great concoctions that would be thrown on the grill the next day. Variety was the name of the game and the offerings ranged from traditions grilled veggies to pizza and waters.

On the morning of the big event everyone arrived around 7 am. Our resident griller, Larry Russ took his cooker to the event and grilled a variety of things from green tomatoes, zucchini, squash, corn and even pizza. He even loaned us a burner so we could use a pressure cooker for corn. One of the things that we created that day was garlic bread with garlic that had been grown locally. Janice and Christy kept the tent going with free samples and even an offering of cucumber, lemon and mint water which was very cold and refreshing. Janice also made a zucchini carrot bread that was made with local honey.

More than 100 people came out and enjoyed the samples and prizes that Kerrie Roach, the Horticulture Extension Agent offered as part of the event. It was a hot day not only temperature wise but food wise as we were smoking it up and promoting healthy local vegetables. The Downtown Farmer's Market is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings beginning at 7 am. If you are looking for some healthy and local alternatives, check it out.