Local Food Fest: October 7th

 

On October 7th MSU Mac Farmstand is hosting Local Food Fest, an event that aims to communicate the importance of local food to the McMaster Community and build a connection between attendees and their local food system in a fun, educational, and engaging way. This will be a large open air festival that will include Local Food Exhibitors, Games, Live Local Music, Interactive Activities, and the Farmstand Local Food Market. Local Food Fest will be a one day celebration of our local food community that brings farmers, producers, community organizations, and on campus groups together with participants to learn about their regional food system.

What: Mac Local Food Fest
Where: Wednesday, October 7th, 2015
When: MUSC/Mills Plaza (Outside Mills Library)
Why: To celebrate our local food community and build a connection between attendees and their local food system.

What?

Community groups exhibiting (at tables) include a local farmer (Plan B Organics), Grocery Cooperative (Mustard Seed), Community Garden (Hamilton Community Garden Network), and Urban Farm for those in need (Hamilton Victory Gardens). There will be live music all day from performers including Dana Swarbrick (from Dana & the Monsters under your bed) and Jordan Hallin-Williamson (From Daydrunk).

For those eager to dig into fall, Student Wellness will be hosting pumpkin carving (including free pumpkins), and their will be lots of games of activities from other groups including MacGreen, MacBreadbin, Mac Veggie Club.

Why?
The goal of this event is to encourage students and McMaster community members to strengthen their link with sustainable eating, learn about their local food community, understand its environmental, economic, and health benefits, and to connect with these groups in a way that makes local eating a more exciting idea for them to engage with.

More on why to buy local food:  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/ontario-doesn-t-grow-enough-food-to-feed-itself-but-it-could-study-1.2951737 &  http://www.tastereal.com/why-buy-local/

Background
This year, Mac Students support for local food has exploded, twice as many students are using the MSU Service Mac Farmstand as in any previous year (about 200 people a day). This event grew from a partnership between the SRA University Affairs Committee, MacBreadbin and Farmstand which have run a smaller event called Local Food Day for the past few years. The attendance of local food day over the past few years has grown to a few hundred attendees which led to us bringing farmers, growers, and a community market on campus and even more activities.


Important
The event is coordinated by MSU service Mac Farmstand and sponsored by OPIRG McMaster,
McMaster Alumni Association, and the Office of The President.