August 13 3-5 pm The Belly Bus will be at the Town Common in Greenfield. You can bring non-perishable foods to the Common which will then be distributed to area food pantries. Unfortunately, more and more families are suffering from food insecurity, not knowing if their own pantry will last out the week, or the next day. Please help.
August 14 & 15 9 am-2 pm Mary Kay Hoffman of E. Hawley MA is offering a dig in her large perennial garden to benefit Sons and Daughters of Hawley and their capital projects: The 1846 Meetinghouse and The Hawley Grove. The dig is Saturday and Sunday Aug 14 and 15, 9 am – 2 p.m. at 7 Watson Rd. Hawley. Call for directions – 413-339-4430. An appropriate donation to the Sons and Daughters of Hawley is requested. I know this garden and there are MANY beautiful perennials. Bring your own shovel and containers.
August 17 & 18 – Local Hero Restaurant Days Participating restaurants will highlight dishes featuring locally grown products. Show your support for local agriculture and great food by dining out at one of the 44 participating Local Hero restaurants.
“Our Local Hero restaurants are excellent supporters of local agriculture because they are committed to buying produce and products from local farmers: this past year, Local Hero restaurants spent over $1,250,000 on local farm products and have been able to prepare menu items with the freshest ingredients of the season. In total, these restaurants serve over 39,000 people each week. When you look at those figures, it’s easy to see how much of an impact restaurants can have on our food system when they purchase locally, ” says Local Hero Membership Coordinator Devon Whitney-Deal. click here for a list of all participating restaurants.
August 20-22 Heath Fair The Exhibit Hall. Ox Draw. Friends of the Heath Library Book Sale. Pie! Fireman’s Barbecue. The best Fair ever.
August 21 – Sunflower Contest sponsored by The Recorder and the Greenfield Garden Club at the Energy Park in Greenfield. Bring your sunflower entry, tall, multiflowered, big, heavy or beautiful arrangement, to the Park between noon and 2 pm. Then the judging will begin! There are two classes: Youth – Under 16 and Adult – 16 and over. Ribbons! Prizes! Winners will get their photos in the Living/Arts section of the Recorder.
August 22 – Free Harvest Supper 4:30 to 6:30 pm in Greenfield – This fabulous meal donated and served by volunteers to lively music is totally free – but feel free to make a contribution to the Farmer’s Market Coupon Project for the Center for Self Reliance which makes it possible for those using the food pantry to buy their own favorite fresh veggies at the Farmer’s Market.
August 22 – World Kitchen Garden Day The most local food we can eat is that grown in our own gardens. Although we don’t often think about it, an amazing amount of the food we eat around the world is grown in our own kitchen garden. Kitchen Garden International supports and encourages us all to grow some of our own food.
August 22 – 28 – Massachusetts Farmer’s Market Week Blogathon hosted at In Our Grandmother’s Kitchens – Loving Local: Celebrating the Flavors of Massachusetts This week long celebration of local food and farmer’s markets is sponsored by the Mass Dept of Agriculture and the non-profit organization Mass Farmers Markets.