Local food champions awarded at Harvest Feast

On Oct. 2, Eat Local Sudbury hosted 150 people for the first annual Harvest Feast at Collège Boréal.

The three-course dinner prepared by Chef Jean Huneault of Co-op Boréal was prepared using all local ingredients from seven farms across northeastern Ontario, and was accompanied by Stack Brewing beers and wines from the VQA winery Featherstone.

At the event, Local Food Champion Awards were presented for four categories:

New Farmer Award is to recognize a farm business that has shown exemplary determination which deserved recognition: Awarded to Field Good Farms in Cache Bay

Best in Business Award goes to a food related business, which could be a restaurant, institution or caterer that has done a great job on using local food on their menus: Awarded to Gardens Gate Restaurant in Tehkummah

Food Group Award is to recognize a group work which has had a positive impact on the food system: Awarded to Rural Agri-Innovation Network of Sault Ste. Marie

Food Leader Award is to recognize leaders who’s time and energy towards food system change has had a significant impact on the community: Awarded to Bridget King in Sudbury

Full details of the nominations and awards can be found at EatLocalSudbury.com.

The event was hosted to raise awareness for the downtown co-operative that support local farmers by purchasing directly from them to sell at the local food grocery store at 176 Larch Street.

In addition, the Eat Local Harvest Feast raised $8,000 which will go towards their work to increase education about local food and their work to improve the regional food system.