Below is the invitation to participate in the 2014 Buy Local Challenge for institutions, businesses, organizations and departments in the workplace, as well as employees or community members of these worksites.  While the week-long campaign was from July 19-27, you can sign up all year long.  See the link to register below.

To see the results of the 2014 Buy Local Challenge, click HERE.

The 2014 Buy Local Challenge – July 19th – 27th

The Chesapeake Food Leadership Council invites institutions, businesses, organizations and their employees, departments, Green Teams and community members to take the Buy Local Challenge to serve and eat at least 1 local food* every day from July 19 – 27, 2014 – (see definition of local food* below).

Food Service, Other Depts./Units, Organizations  –  Register HERE     SERVE OR EAT LOCAL FOOD.*  Serve local foods in your menus or groups can sign on as a department, company or organization to eat at least one local food* each day from July 19 – 27.

Individual Employees, Community Members  –  Register HERE     EAT LOCAL FOOD.* Eat at least 1 local food each day from July 19 – 27.

THIS YEAR:  We ask everyone to sign up on the Buy Local Website instead of using sign-up sheets.

BONUS PARTICIPATION:

• Serve or Eat at least 1 local* certified organic vegetable or fruit

• Serve or Eat at least 1 local* meat or poultry item produced without routine antibiotic use
  

• Engage your Executives, Chefs, Physicians, Green Team members to personally take the pledge to eat at least 1 local food* every day during Buy Local Week from July 19-27, 2014

• Enter the Photo Contest to “Take it to the Extreme” with the Buy Local Challenge using creative ideas such as serving an entire dish made with local foods, etc.

MARKETING TOOLS

Visit the Marketing Tools web page for cafeteria signs, flyers, table tents, patient tray bookmarks and business cards, buttons and logos.

RESOURCES

Easy Steps to Buy Local Foods – for Consumers
Easy Steps to Buy Local Foods – for Institutions, Businesses, Government Agencies

Great Ideas to Engage Customers

Track Your Dollars Spent

Send us the total dollar amount of local foods* your facility purchased and served during Buy Local Week. We will aggregate the total dollar amount spent by institutions and businesses during Buy Local Week and include it in the press release and newsletters we send to the media and several listservs.  This will demonstrate the support that institutions and businesses provide to local farmers and the local economy.

Send your dollars spent on local foods for the week to GNavarro@som.umaryland.edu or call 410-706-2352 to be sure your facility is included in the total.

Promote Your Successes with Pictures & Stories

Send us your pictures and stories of your facility’s activities.  Email GNavarro@som.umaryland.edu so your facility is included in the newsletter by the Chesapeake Food Leadership Council.

Everyone Will Be Recognized

All participants will be recognized in a press release to the media and in several newsletters and listservs.

Leaders Will Be Recognized

In addition to all participants being recognized, the Leaders will also be recognized in the categories listed below.

Top 3 facilities in each category will be recognized:

• highest dollar amount of local food* purchases during Buy Local Week in each industry sector
• highest % of employees taking the pledge to eat local foods*
• highest number of employees, customers and community members taking the pledge

All facilities that do the following will be recognized:

• serve at least 1 local* certified organic⁺ food
• serve at least 1 local* meat or poultry item produced without routine antibiotic use⁺⁺
• serve other local* sustainably produced foods⁺⁺⁺
• enter the photo contest

* Definition of Local Food

Local food is defined by the Chesapeake Food Leadership Council and by Health Care Without Harm as food that is grown or raised, processed, and packaged within a 250-mile radius of your facility. This includes but is not limited to vegetables, fruit, dairy products, seafood, meat, poultry, grains, legumes, etc.  Processed foods, especially those with multiple ingredients including breads and other bakery items, jams, etc., can be defined as local if the majority of ingredients (>50% by weight) are grown or raised, processed and packaged within a 250-mile radius.

While supporting local food businesses (i.e. local bakeries and coffee roasters) is important, the intent of this campaign is to increase purchases from local farms.

Maryland Law on Promoting Food as Local Food

Maryland Law requires all businesses that advertise raw meat, eggs, fish, fruits, vegetables, shellfish and processed dairy products as local or being locally grown, regionally grown or produced, or otherwise represented as having originated close by, must have point-of-sale signage indicating the state of its origin.  See the “Frequently Asked Questions” page by the Maryland Department of Agriculture:  http://www.mda.state.md.us/pdf/buylocalfaq.pdf for more information.

Resources for Employees and Community Members

There are several places you can find local foods to fulfill your pledge:  the cafeteria where you work; a local farmers’ markets; a nearby farm; a restaurant that uses local foods; a grocery store that sells local foods.

Maryland Farmers’ Markets
Maryland Farms (search by zip code)
Local Harvest
Eat Well Guide (for restaurants and grocery stores with local foods)
Sustainable Table
Pick Your Own Farms
Seasonal Recipes (from Fresh Farm Markets)

For More Information

Gina Navarro, CHC, CNC
Sustainable Foods Project Coordinator
410-706-2352
GNavarro@som.umaryland.edu

Louise Mitchell, PT
Sustainable Foods Program Manager
410-706-1924
Louise.Mitchell@som.umaryland.edu

Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment
Regional Organizers, Healthy Food in Health Care Program, Health Care Without Harm
www.mdh2e.org
www.healthyfoodinhealthcare.org
For Information on the Buy Local Challenge, visit: www.buy-local-challenge.com.