August can be a bittersweet month. The start of the school year looms, and the weather begins to hint of autumn. Yet, August still embodies so much of what we all love about summer. Long days, warm nights, and good local food. It’s that last part that we like the best! 

Across multiple states, including Massachusetts and New Hampshire, August is Eat Local Month. Initiatives taken by multiple organizations, restaurants, and farms encourage residents to put their money into the local economy by supporting the people who grow, sell, and cook some of the best food around. 

Local food is about so much more than what goes on your plate. It’s about making sure our local food systems can survive and thrive! So we’re shining a light on how New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts make August the best time of year to eat local food. Let’s dig in!

Live Free and Eat Local in NH 

With a nickname like “The Granite State,” you might be tricked into thinking the ground beneath New Hampshire is nothing more than solid rock. The state’s soil is rocky, but that doesn’t mean it can’t support a local food system. In fact, New Hampshire has one of the most diverse and energetic local food scenes in all of New England. The small coastline yields plenty of seafood. Mountainside farms are perfect for growing vegetables and blueberries. Small dairy farms litter the countryside, and local restaurants, like The Smoking Trout, use as many local-sourced ingredients as possible. 

The New Hampshire Food Alliance is dedicated to fostering a strategic plan to create a sustainable local food system in the state. One of their initiatives is NH Eats Local Month, which happens in August every year. The goal is simple: eat as locally as you can for 31 days! 

Whether it’s collecting food from a CSA or grabbing a beer at a local brewing company, NH Eats Local wants to know! You can upload your info, plus where you ate or shopped, into their contest database and be entered to win a prize at the end of the month. The more locally you eat, the more chances you have to win! 

Every Day is Eat Local in VT 

There may be no state in the region more dedicated to eating locally than the Green Mountain State. Throughout nearly all of its history, Vermont has been a land populated by farmers. Dairy and maple sugaring have been huge industries, but in more recent decades, the push to eat locally has become a Vermont trademark. 

A simple Google search of “Vermont Eats Local” will yield page after page of organizations across the state whose goal it is to foster local food communities. The Brattleboro Area Farmers Market has to be one of the best examples of this spirit. 

Vendors from across southern Vermont descend on a riverside field on the outskirts of Brattleboro to sell vegetables, cheeses, wine, spirits, organic meat, bread, and coffee. The market is in full swing every Saturday from May to October. So, with August being smack in the middle of the season, head over to sample some of the best local food around. 

Pin Your Favorite Local Foods with the Eat Local MA App 

It should come as no surprise that when it comes to local food, there’s an app for that! The Eat Local MA app is the brainchild of the Massachusetts Coalition for Local Food and Farmers and one of their regional divisions, Berkshire Grown. The goal of the app is to take all local farms, restaurants, breweries, fisheries, orchards, markets, and specialty food producers in the entire state and put them in one, easy-to-use app. 

Helping promote the use of this app is Eat Local Month, sponsored by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts. Throughout the month of August, the organization encourages farm tours, film screenings, local food events, and farm-to-table restaurants. Whether you’re out in the Berkshires or down on Cape Cod for vacation, you can find local restaurants with the help of the Eat Local MA app. You don’t have to be a Bay State Resident to see the value in that. 

Strengthen Your Local Food System  

It’s all well and good to promote the local food system, but what does it all mean? Eat Indie Local is a program put forward by the American Independent Business Alliance that can shine some light on the answer.

To quote from their website: “A strong local food system keeps our communities vibrant, our economy growing, and our landscapes healthy. When we buy and eat local food, the benefits ripple throughout the community, helping small businesses thrive.” 

That’s what eating locally is all about. It’s about strengthening your local food system. When you put your money back into your local economy, the benefits to the rest of the community are amazing. Small businesses are able to thrive, and both economic and environmental sustainability are fostered. Not only will you be eating the best food there is, but you will literally be putting your money where your mouth is when you choose local. 

Just because August is Eat Local Month in so many places does not mean that you can’t keep that spirit alive throughout the year. There’s always a way to support your local economy, whether by supporting your local farmer or getting hired by a local employer. 

At Masiello Employment Services, we are all about local. We work with companies in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts to hire the best local talent available. When you foster strong communities, you are rewarded tenfold. 

Looking for a way to dig deeper into your community? Why not check out the local jobs we have available today? Call 603 358 1000 or visit our offices in downtown Keene, NH. Start looking for your dream job now!