Get connected with your food!

It’s one week where we take on the goal of intentionally reclaiming your food choices and decreasing the degrees of separation between us and our food.

Find out resources near you, and put into practice the art of eating locally, supporting local and organic farmers and businesses, and discovering the face behind your food.

Choose your challenge – your level of commitment (bite-sized, meal-sized, or feast sized) – and the activities and events you plan to participate in. Blog your experiences as you make changes both large and small.

In previous years the Challenge week ran for one single week in April (2012 -2016), but now we’ve modified it, so you can do the week at any time. It works best if you participate with others close to you and blog your experiences. Register for your challenge week here.

Part of a school community? See how you can be involved at our Schools Challenge page.

Why the Local Harvest challenge?

There are many great reasons to participate in the Local Harvest Challenge. By taking control of your food choices you make a positive impact on yourself, your community and the earth. Here’s some of the many reasons to get involved:

• Discover the local and sustainable food alternatives near you
• Enjoy local, seasonal produce – it’s usually fresher and tasty!
• Support local farmers, producers and businesses (Your dollar is your vote!)
• Reduce food miles. Food miles refers to the distance between where food is grown/produced and where it is consumed. Generally speaking, the more food miles, the more energy used and the greater the carbon footprint.
• Get to know the faces behind your food. It’s an opportunity to engage with your local producers or growers. Ask them questions about their produce and their practices. Find out about their story.
• Connect up with others near you, who also are looking for (and creating) local food alternatives
• Learn to supplement your household food supply by growing your own and making produce

As Jackie French says: “Local food, or food grown with love or cooked with pride and idealism, doesn’t just keep you alive; it keeps you in contact with the earth, the seasons, and your community. It creates a web of friendship. Every mouthful has a story of fulfillment behind it.“