PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
July 17, 2006
Info: Claire Morenon, Program Assistant:413-665-7100
claire@buylocalfood.com

Fresh, Local and On the Menu
Fourteen Area Restaurants Highlight Locally Grown Ingredients on August 2

(Pioneer Valley, MA) Savory and tender grass-fed sirloin. Fire-roasted corn salad. Cool salad greens with edible flowers. Crisp fried zucchini florettes stuffed with basil and mozzarella. These are just a few of the locally grown foods that chefs from fourteen Pioneer Valley restaurants will serve on Wednesday night, August 2nd, during Fresh, Local and On the Menu, a local food celebration taking place throughout the region.

Fresh, Local and On the Menu was created by the non-profit Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) to highlight the creative and tasty ways area chefs transform locally grown ingredients. On August 2nd, fourteen area restaurants (see list below) will celebrate local farms by serving patrons the best and freshest products of the Valley. Area residents are encouraged to visit one of these restaurants to enjoy the bounty of the region’s farms, as interpreted by talented local chefs.

Black Sheep Deli in Amherst buys pickles from Real Pickles in Montague, greens from Food Bank Farm in Hatfield and milk from Mapleline Farm in Hadley. Owner Nick Seamon says, “I buy locally because it’s healthier and fresher…the most radical thing I can do is buy locally, because purchasing from local farms supports the culture of agriculture.”

“We enjoy having our grass-fed beef served in local restaurants,” says Carolyn Wheeler of Wheel-View Farm in Shelburne. “The People’s Pint is a regular customer and supporter of local farms like us.”

Paul Hathaway, owner/chef of Chez Albert in Amherst, purchases local products from a wide variety of farmers in the area, including eggs from Diemand Farm in Millers Falls, lamb from Brook’s Bend in Montague and vegetables from several local farms. On his restaurant’s commitment to buying locally, he says, “I like to do it- the ingredients always taste better when they’re local.” Hathaway also combs the Amherst Farmer’s Market on Saturdays to find fresh, delicious produce to incorporate into the menu.

Area residents are invited to patronize these 14 Local Hero restaurants to see what they are cooking up on August 2nd. More information on Local Hero Restaurant Night, including menu details, is on CISA’s website: http://www.buylocalfood.com/freshlocal3.htm.

Participating Restaurants
Black Sheep Deli (Amherst)
Blue Heron (Sunderland)
Bottega Cucina (West Springfield)
Butternuts Eatery (Hadley)
Chez Albert (Amherst)
Cup and Top Café (Florence)
Del Raye Bar and Grill (Northampton)
Fitzwilly’s Restaurant, Northampton
Holy Smokes BBQ and Whole Hog House (West Hatfield)
People's Pint (Greenfield)
Pizzeria Paradiso (Northampton)
Spoleto Restaurant (Northampton)
The Lady Killigrew Café (Montague)
The Night Kitchen (Montague)

CISA is a community organization of farmers, consumers, and businesses working together to sustain agriculture and the unique rural character of our communities. CISA is the creator of the ‘Be a Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown’ marketing campaign to promote the purchase of local agricultural products by local consumers. Learn more about CISA at http://www.buylocalfood.com or call 413-665-7100.

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