The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Local Food Journey

Five things to do for Local Foods Week

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/29 at 11:06 AM

Local Foods Week, Centre County’s annual celebration of bounty of delicious food produced right here in Centre County, runs from July 30 to August 6. What we have here really is reason to celebrate; the local food scene has exploded over the last decade or so. So, how can you celebrate? Here’s five things to do during Local Foods Week:

Win a pie contest: Once again, Friends & Farmers Coop is holding a pie contest at the Pennsylvania Certified Organic 5th Annual FarmFest. The deadline for entry is 5:00 July 29 (that’s TODAY), and you can learn more about the pie contest and how to enter here. Don’t want to bake a pie? Then be a judge! That means showing up at the Organic FarmFest. Speaking of…

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Local Food Journey

6th Annual Golden Basket Chef Competition at Boalsburg Farmers’ Market

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/27 at 09:42 AM

Local chefs from Central Pennsylvania’s finest dining establishments will compete for the Boalsburg Farmers Market Sixth Annual Golden Basket Award on Tuesday, Aug. 2 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This event is held by the Boalsburg Farmers’ Market and is part of PASA’s (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) “Local Foods Week.” The event features chefs preparing several dishes from ingredients produced by Boalsburg Farmers’ Market vendors. 

The chefs gather their ingredients at the market, then prepare their plates for submission to the judges in front of market guests. The chefs have only 45 minutes to assemble the dishes. After the judges have tasted and scored all of the chef’s offerings, an awards ceremony is held to announce the new Golden Basket winner. While the chefs are preparing, market-goers can watch them work and enjoy free samples.

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Local Food Journey

Upcoming events at Mt. Nittany Winery, with the harvest in mind

Posted by Linda Weaver on 07/25 at 08:34 AM

Editor’s Note: While it’s hot and humid outside and autumn may seem a long time away, the Mt. Nittany Vineyard & Winery has a variety of events as we transition to the cooler days ahead. If you love local wine, please mark your calendars for these fun happenings.

Glass Painting—Uncorked
Friday, Aug. 19, 2016 (7:00-9:00 p.m.)
Instructor: Nancy Alpago

With step-by-step instruction guided by Nancy Alpago, an experience instructor and former art teacher, you will learn to use a one-stroke painting technique to create two hand-painted wine glasses. This two-hour class is the perfect creative outlet for you and a friend. Come for an evening of fun, relaxation, and creativity and leave with two beautiful hand-painted wine glasses.

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Local Food Journey

Penn State Student Farm grows awareness of sustainability, local food

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/20 at 09:51 AM

Editor’s Note: Local Food Journey was experiencing tech issues, but we are back after our unscheduled break. Thanks for your patience.

One of Penn State’s best kept secrets is the fact that the University has a student-run farm. Located near where Fox Hollow Road runs under US 322, this summer is the first growing season for the Student Farm Club.

This season marks the return of the student run farm after a few decades, as the previous student farm was transferred to a faculty-led program in 1989. The farm features tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, basil, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli.

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Local Food Journey

Five mid-season gardening tips

Posted by Jamie Oberdick on 07/06 at 09:35 AM

Early July is sort of a gardening doldrums period for many. We’re right on the edge of harvesting a lot of vegetables, such as corn, tomatoes, peppers, etc. But we’re not quite there yet, so we wait.

While things may seem slow, this is an extremely important time for gardening, a key period where if you are too lax, issues can arise in your garden that cut down on production. Here are five tips to help your garden roar through the doldrums to a big finish for the season:

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