September 16, 2009

A local environmental group is challenging everyone in Charlottesville and Albemarle County to eat local food. The Piedmont Environmental Council wants you to try 21 locally-grown foods in 21 days.

The council is giving out scorecards to keep track of the local food you eat and where each was grown. You can get the cards online, at several local restaurants or at events like the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival.

"By encouraging people to make a short-term commitment to eating 21 local foods, they might make a long-term change and actually think about where food comes from regularly," said Melissa Wiley, of the Piedmont Environmental Council.

The challenge starts September 21 and runs until October 11.

Local eaters who complete the challenge will be entered to win prizes.The grand prize is a series of cooking classes and the Charlottesville Cooking School.