For Immediate Release

FIRST EDITION OF THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY
BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL FOOD DIRECTORY
 
July 6, 2009 - Winchester, VA - The first edition of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Buy Fresh Buy Local food directory produced by Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), Shenandoah Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, and community supporters is rolling off the presses.
 
This free, 4-page directory is a guide to local food and farming in Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties and the City of Winchester.  Thanks to a partnership with Preserve Frederick and the Piedmont Environmental Council, the guide will be delivered for free to every household in the four localities.  Additional copies will be available farmers markets, natural food stores, grocers, public libraries, and other convenient locations throughout the four localities featured in the guide.

This publication is a directory of family farms, farmers' markets, produce auctions, farmstands, orchards, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) farms, and specialty farm products. It also features grocers and restaurants that have demonstrated a commitment to selling or cooking with locally grown farm products. The food directory will facilitate Shenandoah Valley residents' connection with fresh locally grown food, neighboring farmers who grow the food and those markets and restaurants that are committed to using locally grown food in their businesses.
 
"Connecting residents of the northern Valley with the dedicated farmers who produce fresh, local food not only helps our residents stay healthy, but also helps keep money flowing in the community, improving the region's economic bottom line," said Wendy Hamilton, President of Preserve Frederick.  "We have a rich agricultural tradition here in Frederick County and keeping customers coming to the farms which sell local goods is critical to maintaining that base."
 
"Getting the Buy Fresh, Buy Local guide directly into every household in the northern Valley is critical to making sure that every resident knows where they can buy fresh, local products," said Gem Bingol with the Piedmont Environmental Council.  "We hope that every family will keep this guide on their refrigerator all summer and use it to support local producers and the businesses the make buying local a priority."
 
Complementing the Northern Shenandoah Valley guide is the website www.buylocalvirginia.org.  This website will list all the farms in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, as well as farms throughout the state which produce and sell local products. The website is searchable by zip code, and is an invaluable tool for finding local products wherever you are in Virginia.
 
For more information on the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Directory, or the Shenandoah Valley Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter, contact VCE at 540-432-6029/540-564-3080 or the Shenandoah RC&D at 540-248-3321.