Thank you for visiting The Local Table, a program of classes, workshops, field trips, and events beginning in Fall 2009. The Local Table encourages us to take a new look at where our food comes from. If you're wondering "Why local?", there are lots of good reasons. When you buy local you know who grew or raised your food and what production methods they used. Plus, in an increasingly global economy, purchasing food from area producers and growers helps keep them in business-and your dollars stay in the local economy. It's also a matter of environmental sustainability: buying food from local sources or growing it yourself decreases your energy use and carbon footprint. And thinking locally helps us to better understand our region's rich food heritage and history.

The Local Table has two components: The Local Table passport (your ticket to locavore certification) and the program of classes, workshops, and events. Examples of the program include a field trip to a local winery; a tour of Ann Arbor-area chicken coops, learning how to can and preserve food, stocking the Michigan pantry, the 100-Mile Holiday Dinner, and much more.

As with our other educational offering, MBGNA members and University of Michigan students receive 20% off the class fees. Click on the links to the left for more information. And please visit this website for regular updates throughout the summer or contact program coordinator Ariane Reister reistera@umich.edu.

We look forward to seeing you at The Local Table—we're saving a seat for you!