Eating local has never been more important, for healthy and environmentala reasons and the City of Dryden is challenging residents to do just that.
After the City of Dryden declared Sunday, July 25  the first ever “Eat Local Day”, the Northwestern Health Unit and the Cloverbelt Farmer’s Market are challenging residents to create a meal, using a minimum of three local ingredients and share the recipe for a chance to win a great prize.
Residents don’t have to go far for local ingredients. The Cloverbelt Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday at the Oxdrift Hall from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and is coming to Dryden July 8 and July 22 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Dryden Arena parking lot.
The NWHU and the Farmer’s Market encourage residents to come out, purchase their local ingredients for their meal.
Ingredients from local gardens are worth double in the contest so if you’ve got a garden, it’s a great place to start.
The meal must be made on July 25 and interested participants have until July 30 to enter their recipe, the more local ingredients in the dish, the points that are awarded.
The winner will be drawn at the Farmer’s Market on July 31. Also the recipe with the most points will be featured on the Cloverbelt Farmer’s Market website.
Entry forms for the contest can be picked up and dropped off at the Dryden Public Library, the Pool and Fitness Centre, Community Matters (56 King Street), the Northwestern Health Unit or City Hall.
Online entry forms can also be found at www.cloverbeltfarmersmarket.ca, Eat Local Day Dryden facebook page, and they can be e-mailed to kdscia@hotmail.com.
For more information on the contest or how you can buy and eat local ingredients, contact Jessica at 223-7378 or Stephanie at the Northwestern Health Unit at 223-3301.