Local food champions Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable, FarmFolk CityFolk and the Island Chefs’ Collaborative are joining forces to present Get Ready, Get Local, a new local food and sustainable agriculture expo. The event will showcase Island foods, and the farmers, ranchers and fishers that produce it, alongside local food artisans, craft brewers, vintners, recognized chefs, culinary professionals and industry leaders including home food and garden professionals.
Capturing the energy and enthusiasm driving the local food movement on Vancouver Island, Get Ready, Get Local seeks to address specific business needs of local producers and buyers through networking and marketing opportunities and targeted workshops, and providing them with an opportunity to market their amazing local food products and services to a engaged public through a public marketplace.
CRFAIR coordinator Linda Geggie is excited to work with FarmFolk CityFolk and the ICC on this venture. “We have common goals of building a sustainable local food economy and believe we can help build Island food businesses by creating industry and public networking opportunities like this,” she says.
Get Ready, Get Local will also give the public a chance to “get local” with opportunities to sign up for a community-supported agriculture (CSA) box, orient themselves with their local farmers’ markets, or attend workshops on how to make the most out of the local food bounty, including preserving the harvest, backyard chickens and edible landscaping, for example.
Get Ready, Get Local is on April 18 at the Victoria Conference Centre. The public marketplace is open from 11am to 3pm (admission $5). For more information go to getreadygetlocal.com. Advance tickets and tradeshow registration available through Eventbrite.