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Buy Fresh Buy Local Nebraska is bringing its Local Food Showcases to four communities this summer, and the response so far says a lot about where interest in local food is headed.
The first showcase in Beatrice drew 175 people in the first hour, even with rain in the forecast. Program Specialist Skylar Falter and Program Coordinator Michelle Garwood join Nebraska FARMcast to talk about what these events look like on the ground: local chefs building dishes around crops you won't find in a grocery store, like kohlrabi or turnip greens, and a steady stream of families willing to try something new.
There's a bigger goal behind the taste tests. Garwood and Falter talk through what participation means for a producer, from the relationships it builds with local chefs to the bump in market attendance a single showcase can bring to a small town. They also get into where the friction still is between what Nebraska growers can supply and what local buyers are ready to purchase, and why that gap matters for anyone thinking about scaling up.
The remaining showcases run through the summer in O'Neill on July 18, Grand Island on July 25 and North Platte on Aug. 1. Details on each are at buylocalnebraska.org.
