The Eat Local Challenge

The Eat Local Challenge

Renville County HRA/EDA staff, Susie Lang and her family are taking on a month long eat local challenge June 15th through July 15th. The Lang family will shop and eat as locally as possible from local farms, roadside stands, farmers’ markets and other sources of locally grown food for four full weeks. Lang also plans to test out some online sources and directories including localdirt.com and MN Grown to help access local producers.

Lang and her family have been challenged by the Renville County Ag & Renewable Energy Committee of the HRA/EDA to eat as locally as possible for the month. According to Heather Hilleren, CEO of Local dirt.com, the local food movement is one of the fastest growing sectors in the food industry. Renville County is a dynamic agricultural community; there are hundreds of farmers and gardeners within miles of where we all work and live. However, much of what we purchase at local stores is food that has not been grown anywhere near the rich black soil of Renville County. “I want to get in touch with my food and know where it was grown and who cared for it,” says Lang. Lang plans to document the journey on Twitter and Facebook as well as the HRA/EDA web site at www.renville.com. “I want to show local consumers that eating local is a doable thing that is also accessible and affordable.”

The Renville County Housing and Economic Development Authority (HRA/EDA) works to keep the county strong by fostering business growth and development, promoting tourism and recreation, and providing housing opportunities for county residents. The HRA/EDA office supports and coordinates the Renville County Ag & Renewable Energy Committee (Ag/R.E.) which is committed to expanding & enhancing the agricultural and renewable energy possibilities in Renville County.

The HRA/EDA has been supporting the expansion and success of agricultural business, the area Farmers’ Markets and local business in Renville County since the department was formed in 2000. This past fall marked a new campaign that supports shopping at local businesses known as the 4-$40 Plan. The month long Eat Local Challenge is bringing all those areas together and expanding on the foundation the HRA/EDA that has been built over the past ten years.

If you’d like more information about the Eat Local Challenge please contact Susie
at 320-523-3837 or by e-mail at susie@mail.renville.com To follow the eat local challenge on twitter visit RenCoHRAEDA and or on Facebook at Renville County HRA/EDA.