Our 2014 outreach project is inspired by our highly successful two-year Cooking Local Project (2012-2013).  The design of Cooking Local Together draws on the most successful elements of our previous project while also expanding to include interactive components rooted in the national, evidence-based program “Food is Elementary” from the Food Studies Institute.

Cooking Local Together aims to foster healthy eating and increase consumption of local in-season fruits, vegetables and other farm-fresh products for children and families in Haywood County.

Through collaboration with other partner agencies and organizations, we have the opportunity to share a rich and engaging selection of materials to increase enthusiasm around making healthy, simple and affordable dishes that can be easily replicated at home.

Event materials include information from the following partners:

• North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS)
• Healthy Haywood
• Haywood County Health Department
• WNC Healthy Kids
• Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP)
• MountainWise

This project is funded by a 2014 grant from the Healthy Haywood Fitness Challenge (a program to improve physical activity and nutrition in Haywood County), Bethel Rural Community Organization and the Haywood Advancement Foundation.