Encouraging Missourians to feast on Missouri-grown products, the Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Don Steen prepares for Missouri Farmers’ Market Week by eating all locally grown foods for one day in mid-Missouri. The Eat Local, Buy Missouri tour of five agricultural locations providing foods fresh from the farm highlights and shows the diversity of the many Missouri venues offering local foods to consumers each day.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

8:30 a.m. – Show Me Farms, Ashland (Breakfast of Missouri beef and eggs and farm tour)
10:30 a.m. – Peach Tree Farms, Columbia (Morning snack of U-Pick peaches and tour)
1:00 p.m. – Café Berlin, Columbia (Choice of local foods from mid-Missouri)
2:30 p.m. – Les Bourgeois Winery, Rocheport (Grape juice and wine tasting and production tour)
3:45 p.m. – Columbia Farmers’ Market, Columbia (Director Steen will ring the opening bell and shop for local foods to prepare at home for dinner.)

Missouri Farmers’ Market Week begins Sun., Aug. 3 and continues through Sat., Aug. 9 and coincides with National Farmers’ Market Week. The Eat Local, Buy Missouri tour kicks off the week with showing consumers the many choices they have when buying local every day. Missouri is home to over 140 farmers’ markets in communities across the state, u-pick locations and roadside stands dedicated to providing fresh, locally grown foods.

Media inquiries please contact Misti Preston, public information administrator, Missouri Department of Agriculture, at (573) 751-8596 or via e-mail at Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov.

See the attached PDF for directions to the Eat Local, Buy Missouri tour event locations.