Local Food Fair at CWC March 10

The 2012 Local Food Fair is hosted Saturday, March 10 by Central Wyoming College at the Intertribal Education and Community Center from 9 a.m. to noon.
 
The Food Fair, free and open to the public, features more than 25 local food producers showcasing their products and providing information about their farms and businesses. 
Numerous products will be available to purchase, including locally grown frozen lamb and grass fed beef, eggs, fresh salad greens, dried beans, frozen raspberries and raspberry products, home baked breads and other baked goods, jellies, and fresh peach cobbler, baked on site, said fair coordinator Sherry Shelley. 
 
 “The new Mobile Poultry Processor will be on display outside, “she said, adding the “Meeteetse Chocolatier,” a zero waste business that creates chocolates and desserts, has been invited.
 
Producers will be taking orders for products available during the upcoming seasons including locally grown feeder pigs, pastured pork and poultry, grass-fed and finished beef, and a large variety of fresh vegetables and fruits. One producer, she said, is hoping to have ripe tomatoes by May.
 
Shelley said there are many advantages to purchasing locally produced foods. “The food tends to be fresher and healthier than conventional grocery store products,” she said. “The money spent on local food stays in our economy, supporting both small farms and agricultural businesses.”
 
She said local doesn’t require as much fuel to produce and buying locally builds bonds between people, thus strengthening our community. “It is a win-win for consumers, producers, the environment, the local economy, for our towns and county,” Shelley emphasized.
Also participating in the 2012 Food Fair coordination is Riverton Community Outreach, in partnership with Fremont Local, a newly organized marketing group headed up by Steve Doyle and Jack Schmidt which is working to build a local food network.