Growing Chefs! Chefs for Children's Urban Agriculture recently announced its second annual Going Local! Local Food Challenge from Aug. 14 to 20.
Growing Chefs! is challenging people around the world to eat only local food for seven days and to track their progress on the Going Local website. Optionally, participants can collect pledges from friends and family to help raise money for the Classroom Gardening Program.
Founded in 2005, the Classroom Gardening Program teaches students in Grades 1 to 3 to grow and cook their own food and gets them excited about eating healthy.
In 2011, Growing Chefs! worked with six hundred youth and more than 100 chef volunteers in the Lower Mainland.
"Going Local! is an opportunity for people to celebrate the amazing food grown and produced in their local region," says Helen Stortini, executive director of Growing Chefs! "Last year, one of our participants challenged himself to eat the 10 Mile Diet. Part of the fun is coming up with what local means to you. It's amazing to see how innovative and creative people get."
Growing Chefs! is encouraging participants to define what local means to them, but are recommending the 100 Mile Diet.
To encourage participation, the challenge also allows for one to two wild cards, such as coffee and tea, per day. Once participants register, they can share their experiences on the Growing Chefs! Going Local! website, as well as on their social media sites.
"Eating local is a great way to eat. It supports the local economy, has great environmental benefits and the quality of food grown close to home is often fresher and tastier. It really opens up your eyes to what can be grown in your own community," says Stortini.
Growing Chefs also hopes to raise over $4,000 for their Classroom Gardening Program through the Going Local! challenge. For more information, visit www.chefs. givecentre.com or www. growingchefs.ca/going-local.
