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Buy Fresh Buy Local, even after summer
by: NATALIE MIKLES World Scene Writer
9/10/2008
In a few short weeks, many of the farmers markets will be coming to a close.
So, what's a local foodie to do? If you're in a food co-op or know a farmer, that might sustain you. But for many others, fall and winter present a dilemma when it comes to buying fresh and buying local.
Rita Scott of Sustainable Green Country and Doug Walton of the Kerr Center knew farmers who wanted to get the word out about their crops, and they knew plenty of people who were more than happy to drive the extra miles for local produce.
Their problem was finding a way to connect the two. The problem is solved in the Buy Fresh Buy Local food guide, a production of the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Oklahoma Sustainability Network. The food guide features listings of farmers by what they produce - nuts, dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables, honey, even Christmas trees - and then lists them by county.
"It's a one-stop shop for local food," Walton said.
The guides are available at Tulsa City-County libraries, the Tulsa County Extension Center, Conrad Farms, Carmichael's, Center 1 Market, Local Table, Harvard Meats, Elote and Blue Jackalope.
The Buy Fresh Buy Local guides also have a guide to seasonal availability in northeastern Oklahoma and a listing of restaurants and caterers who use seasonal, locally produced foods.
Organizers hope this late-season publication can pick up where the farmers markets leave off.
"It's a way to carry the harvest into the fall and winter months," Walton said. "It's for people wondering 'Who is out there?
What do they grow? How do I get a hold of them?' " And it's all there.
Buy Fresh Buy Local food guides are free and available at Tulsa City-County libraries, Conrad Farms in Bixby, the Tulsa County Extension Center and a few restaurants. If you can't get your hands on a hard copy, the electronic version is available at http://kerrcenter.com/pdf/2008-Local_Food_Guide-GC.pdf.
Copyright (c) 2008, World Publishing Co.
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