The history of Humboldt’s Local Food Month sprouted from a combination of vibrant farms, passionate food activists and curious community members. This mixture created a celebration of the local food system that now spans the month of September and beyond.

A variety of events invite residents from across Humboldt County to connect with their food in entertaining, educational and inspirational ways. From local food tasting events to workshops, films to farm tours, Humboldt’s Local Food Month has firmly rooted itself in the community to become part of our cultural fabric.

In 2006, inspired by Open Studios, a local arts event where the public can visit artists’ studios, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (operating at the time as the North Coast Growers Association’s Friends of the Farmers Markets), designed what turned out to be a very successful open farm tour at five local farms. The weather was perfect, the crowds happy and the farms picture-perfect.

From there, film and discussion nights, farmers market tasting events and elegant on-farm dinners ensued. At the time, it seemed that interest in local food and farming had been peaking; little did we know that its attractiveness was building since the 1960s and that it would continue to climb.

In 2007, partners including the North Coast Co-op came on board with their 100-mile potluck and Eat Local challenge, fueling the excitement about local food events even further. CAFF and other agricultural organizations were in the right place at the right time and were able to respond to the community’s demand for a closer connection to its food.

CAFF launched the “Buy Fresh Buy Local” campaign, which was not only a regional branding campaign to increase awareness and support for local food, but also a campaign aimed at bringing to light the access and education efforts that so many organizations were working to improve.

The birth of Humboldt’s Local Food Month happened in 2007, around a table at Wildberries Marketplace, where several passionate food activists had gathered to plan the first Taste of Place gourmet dinner soon to take place at Redwood Roots Farm in Bayside. One of the attendees excitedly said, “We should combine everyone’s actions and get the county to proclaim September Local Food Month. We can lump all these great activities into one month, honor our hard-working farmers, and really make something big!”

September was the obvious choice as it is the height of the local growing season. The rest is history, as they say, and the efforts have soared since then, with collaboration from amazing organizations and committed volunteers.

Today, Local Food Month is a shared effort of more than 30 organizations, led by dedicated staff from CAFF, North Coast Growers Association, Food for People, Organic Seed Alliance and numerous individuals. This countywide celebration of local food, local farmers and local abundance provides opportunities to enjoy and learn about local foods and the people who produce them.

Join us in the many festivities throughout September and beyond. With more than 40 events, including farm tours, tastings, workshops, Restaurant Week and more, it is once again time to celebrate that which nourishes us — locally produced food! Events for the coming week are listed below, or check out the calendar of events online at www.localfoodmonth.org.

Celebrate fresh, healthy foods by trying out a recipe like this one that uses nutritious, flavorful ingredients grown right here in Humboldt County:

BALSAMIC TOMATO, BASIL, MOZZARELLA SALAD

— 2 medium farm fresh tomatoes, diced

— 1 ounce mozzarella cheese, diced

— 2 green onions, chopped

— 2 Tablespoons red onion, diced

— 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

— 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

— 1 clove garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together and let sit for at least 10 minutes to give flavors time to come together.

Source: caloriecount.com

Makes 2 generous servings. Nutrition information per serving: 86 calories; 3.8 g total fat; 1.9 g saturated fat; 9 mg cholesterol; 85 mg sodium; 9.2 g carbohydrates; 2.1 g fiber; 5.2 g sugars; 5.3 g protein.

LOCAL FOOD MONTH ACTIVITIES

Many of the Local Food Month events are free. Here is the schedule for the coming week:

Today, 5-7 p.m., GMO Free Humboldt, organizing meeting at Bayside Grange

Sunday, 1-4 p.m., Local wheat tasting at Beck’s Bakery

Sunday, noon, North Coast Growers Association farm tour at Forest Lakes Nursery in Fortuna

Sunday, 1:30 p.m., North Coast Growers Association farm tour at Shakefork Community Farm in Carlotta

Tuesday (Sept. 24), 4-5 p.m., CAFF farmers market tasting at the Fortuna Farmers Market

Look for more upcoming events in next week’s Food section. For event details, locations and updated event listings, visit http://localfoodmonth.org.

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Michelle Wyler is the Humboldt Regional Manager for the Community Alliance with Family Farmers and a long time food activist. CAFF is a statewide nonprofit that works to support family farmers and sustainable agriculture. Contact Michelle at michelle@caff.org or 826-0233.