South-Valley based producers to sell eggs, honey and more
Published in the August 20 – September 2, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Liza Garibaldi
Visitors to this year’s Taste of Morgan Hill will find a new element called the Localvore Haven section where South Valley-based producers of food products can meet with consumers and sell products such as farm fresh eggs, honey, and other items.
The annual Taste event is put on by the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and will be held Sept. 27 and 28 in downtown Morgan Hill. The Chamber decided to include the Localvore Haven to highlight the region’s agricultural heritage and bring attention to potential agri-tourists that there is a diverse selection of farm products in the South Valley, said Chamber President/CEO John Horner.
“One of the bits of recurring constructive criticism about the Taste of Morgan Hill has been that there hasn’t been enough to actually ‘taste,’” he said. “After a recent agri-tourism event focused on supporting local producers, we hit on the idea of creating a special area at our annual event to shine a spotlight on the local specialty food producers, be they farmers or cottage food industry producers. This will provide a way to get these folks more visibility while enhancing the appeal of our event at the same time.”
The economic, environmental and health benefits of eating foods produced near the point of consumption can be tremendous, he said.
“The economic portion may be the most obvious,” Horner said. “Keep the money circulating within our community and everyone thrives. Likewise, the environmental benefits are clear – less fuel wasted transporting food over long distances, produce can be picked at optimal ripeness since it doesn’t need to survive a long journey and fewer preservatives are required.”
The less processing foods go through and the closer they are to being farm ripened, the better for human health, he said.
“Our Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to improving the quality of life in our community through high quality local economic vitality,” Horner said. “Connecting local producers with local consumers is good for everyone, and we are excited to contribute to that effort.”
Organizer Liza Garibaldi said the idea for adding the Localvore Haven section to the Taste of Morgan Hill came when Horner attended an Agri-Tourism workshop that she helped coordinate in April at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center.
“He approached me after the workshop and was really excited about helping me bring more awareness to the ag business we have here in Morgan Hill and the South Valley Region,” she said. “He mentioned the Taste of Morgan Hill and I thought it would be a perfect way to achieve that goal.”
As a representative of the Ag-Tourism Committee of Morgan Hill, Garibaldi tries to coordinate events that highlight the region’s farmers and ranch production. She recently engaged with a Morgan Hill group called Artisan Food Makers that make specialty foods such as biscotti cookies, pickles, baked goods,about putting their products in the Localvore Haven. The committee has also contacted the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau as well as Community Alliance with Family Farmers to gain their support in putting together the locally-produced food section for this year’s Taste of Morgan Hill.
“One thing I noticed at our own Farmers Markets is that none of the vendors, with the exception of Roxanne’s Biscotti, is from Morgan Hill,” Garibaldi said. “I thought that by adding the Localvore Haven to the Taste, everyone can get a literal “taste of Morgan Hill.”
The Chamber of Commerce and Garibaldi are currently in the process of working out the pricing and logistics for the Localvore Haven. If a local producer or food artisan is interested in being part of the Localvore Haven, they can contact Garibaldi by emailing her at [email protected].
