Catawba Co., NC – Eat, Drink, and Be Local is back for the 4th annual celebration of agriculture and the local food system in Catawba County.
All events from June 17 through June 24 are free except for the Farm Feast at Market on Main Friday, June 23 from 5:30 to 9 pm. Tickets are still available ($25 each) on-line with Eventbrite: http://farmfeast-eatdrinkbelocal.eventbrite.com or you can call the Cooperative Extension Office at 828-465-8240.
Come out and support our farmers while helping us raise money for the 4-H scholarship fund.
Participating local restaurants Highland Avenue, Cafe Rule, Taste Full Beans, Fourk, Boca and Marie and Twanettes will feature a dish sourced from local farms. Follow us on Facebook/eat drink be local for more information.
June 17: Savoring Summer Flavors 10-1pm cooking demos at the Hickory and Conover Farmers Markets.
June 19: Avaline’s Farm Tour 6:30-8pm 2027 U.S Hwy 321 S. Newton, NC
June 20: Fermented Foods Workshop with Aubrey Mast 6-7pm Hickory Soup Kitchen. Register at Eventbrite or call 828-465-8240.
June 21: Kids Corner 10-2pm Hickory Farmers Market and Coto Family Farms 6pm, 726 Bert Yarbro Rd, Vale, NC.
June 22: Fresh, Simple and Kid Approved 11am-1pm Hickory Public Health Farmers Market
Night at the Distillery bottling party and tour 6:30-9pm Foothills Distillery/Seventeen Twelve Spirits, 300 Thornburg Dr. S.E., Conover NC. Register at Eventbrite or call 828- 465-8243.
June 23: Farm to Fork Feast 5:30-9pm Market on Main 336 Main Ave. S.W. Hickory, $25 tickets.
June 24: Family Fun Day 2-4pm JRG Grain Farms 1746 33rd St. N.E, Hickory.
The Farm to Fork Feast consists of an amazing array of local flavors and cuisine from local farmers. The food for this event is produced by farmers in Catawba County and a few farmers in our neighboring counties (everything sourced from within 75 miles).
Chef and owner of Market on Main John Duke is a local food champion and will once again host the event. The Feast will display some of the cultural and culinary diversity in Catawba County with traditional barbecue along with samplings from Hmong and Latino dishes popular in the region.
Local farmer and owner of JRH Grain Farm LLC, Russell Hedrick, has provided sponsorship for the event so that all proceeds can go to the 4-H scholarship fund. This fund allows low income 4-H participants to attend summer camp and leadership conferences.
We urge everyone to come out and celebrate the agricultural traditions that make Catawba County unique and resilient. One of the best aspects of a local food system is making a connection with where your food comes from. All of the farmers that provide food for the meal will be invited to the feast.
Come and make a connection with some of the farmers that you may have already met at our farmers markets. The best part of the whole event is seeing hard working farmers take one night off and break bread with a room full of folks that celebrate the importance of our local agriculture.
This event is very informal and relaxed. Enjoy a cold beverage on the patio with Catawba County farmers and relish some of the delicious fruits of their labor.
