Taste Of Washington Day

Taste Of Washington Day

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Taste Washington Day was first kicked off by the Washington School Nutrition Association who then reached out to the Washington State Department of Agriculture Farm To School Program to partner on it in 2010. As an annual celebration of Washington grown foods served in school meals, Taste Washington Day has become one of the most successful and popular events connecting schools with local farms. Taste Washington Day will be September 25, and WSDA’s Becky Elias says the event is growing this year.

ELIAS: This year we’re wanting to expand it and encourage grocery stores to feature more Washington grown foods, so that families can purchase these products and celebrate on Taste Washington Day also. And for restaurants to also highlight the Washington crops that they are using and feature the relationship that they have with the farmers in their community.

Besides serving a locally sourced meal for Taste Washington Day many participating schools also invite farmers to lunch, arrange school visits to area farms, as well as provide educational activities recognizing the region’s agricultural bounty. Since that first partnering of the WSNA with the WSDA in 2010 more than sixty school districts and fifty farms have responded to WSDA calls to participate in Taste Washington Day.

The WSDA is happy to help match farms new to the event with schools in their area and are even able to assist in setting up sales. Any farmers wishing to participate in the Taste Washington Day event should contact WSDA’s Farm to School Program Taste Washington Day coordinator Acacia Larson at alarson@agr.wa.gov or 206-256-6150 by September 1.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Ag Information Network.