Gainesville’s Eat Local Challenge

For the month of May, the Eat Local Challenge invites Gainesville residents to eat local, seasonal foods that have been cultivated at home or in the area. If you’re not sure where to find such produce, farmer’s markets, the Citizen’s Co-op and Ward’s Supermarket are great places to start.

Mildred’s Big City Food, Blue Gill Quality Foods, The Jones, Tempo Bistro To Go, The Bagel Bakery, and Blue Highway Pizzeria are a few of the local restaurants that rely on local goods.

Hogtown HomeGrown creator Stefanie Samara Hamblen is a supporter of this lifestyle year-round, but particularly advocates this month of local eating for the entire community.

“Eating locally sourced food tastes better, has many more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and gives more money to the local economy,” Stefanie says. “You get a chance to vote with your fork three times a day; you decide where the money goes.”

May 27 marks the Community Celebration as residents of Gainesville and Alachua are invited to enjoy the homemade, local produce at Sweet Dreams Homemade Ice Cream. Sweet Dreams will have special flavors churned just for the event and will even have door prize drawings.

For information, recipes (Stefanie recommends the cream of green soup) and a chart to keep track, visit Hogtown Homegrown.