Nov. 2, 2007
Savor local flavor at the holiday table
Sims asks people to pledge to ‘Eat Local for Thanksgiving'
Hoping to inspire a tasty new holiday tradition that helps the environment and the local farm economy, King County Executive Ron Sims today joined farmers and vendors at Pike Place Market to encourage people to "Eat Local for Thanksgiving."
Stressing taste, nutrition, and the economic and environmental benefits of farm fresh food, Sims asked the public to join him in pledging to add at least one locally produced product to their Thanksgiving dinner menu this year.
Sims was accompanied by Eric Haakenson from Jubilee Farm, Fong Cha from the market's Childrens Garden, and Pike Market Senior Center Director Dorothy Lengyel.
"Thanksgiving is a time rich with cultural meaning and food traditions," said County Executive Sims. "It is a perfect time to add another dimension to how we think about our food and our nation's rich agricultural heritage."
"A plate of food now travels an average of 1,500 miles from farm to fork," said Sims. "Eating locally can help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while supporting our economy. And keeping agricultural land productive helps preserve our rural communities."
More than 1,100 people have already taken the pledge at www.pugetsoundfresh.org or by signing up at local farmers markets and area grocery stores participating in the Eat Local for Thanksgiving campaign.
"My farm operation exists because of the local residents that recognize the value of fresh produce and want to help keep good land in agricultural production," said Carnation farmer Erick Haakenson of Jubilee Farm. "Their support means a lot to all the small businesses in the rural areas of King County and this region."
Farming remains a vital presence in King County, which has more than 42,000 acres of designated agricultural lands. Including Pike Place Market, there are 32 farmers markets throughout King County that generate about $12 to $15 million a year in retail sales.
Even though fall is well under way, Puget Sound and Washington state farmers are bringing an abundance of fresh food to market, from winter squashes and potatoes to farmstead cheeses, eggs, shellfish and of course, fresh turkeys.
The "Eat Local for Thanksgiving 2007" campaign is supported by Cascade Harvest Coalition, King County, King Conservation District, Seattle Tilth, City of Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund, Acting Food Policy Council Seattle-King County, Farming and the Environment, Washington State Department of Agriculture, and local farmers.
For more information about local farmers markets, harvest schedules, and to take the Pledge to eat local visit www.pugetsoundfresh.org.