The energy was palpable on Tuesday night as more than two dozen volunteers cheerfully set up for the 4^th annual Fall Food Fest. Then local growers and producers began showing up with goodies to share. Doors opened, the music started, and people of all ages began streaming in. With local food samples from apples (Blueridge Orchard) and tomatoes (Kaiser Farms), to yogurt (Country View Dairy) and cheese (Hansen’s Dairy), to pork (Joia Food Farm) and Thai food (Chotto House/Ginger Thai), to pie (the Pie Lady) and spice demonstrations (Luann Alemao and Assoc./Frontier Co-op), to microgreens (CC Greens) and corn (Kerns Homegrown and Fitkin Popcorn), guests had plenty of opportunities to taste as well as talk to local producers and business people about their quality products. Good Neighbor and the UNI Local Foods Program also added to the education that evening. Children greeted (or sometimes hid from) Rooty the Co-op Carrot while waiting in line to have their faces painted (thanks, Hearst Center!). The musical duo, Fuzzy Logic, entertained the crowd. Lucky attendees walked away with fabulous door prizes including gift cards from many of the Co-op’s business partners plus knife sets from Rada Cutlery. Candidates in the upcoming Board elections mingled with guests, and people stopped by the membership table to pick up their Co-op bags, buy a T-shirt or sign up to become a member-owner. This year, two food trucks (La Calle and Kubo) added to the ambience by offering more delectable local treats outdoors. When the fun concluded, the volunteers who stayed after to clean up basked in the glow of what good community embodies.Continue reading→