On Tuesday night, I attended Eating Local in the New South, an event at the Levine Museum of the New South promoting the local foods movement here in Charlotte.  Nearly 200 guests of all ages  showed up to enjoy a down home local spread by Mert's Heart and Soul and a talk given by two women firmly rooted in the local foods movement. Kristin Davis, extension agent for the NC Cooperative Extension and Cassie Parsons, executive chef at Harvest Moon Grille and owner of Grateful Growers Farm shared their personal stories,  how they came to know local food and the way in which it has impacted their lives. 

Guests gathered in the atrium for an incredible Southern spread  featuring Southern fried chicken, Grateful Growers NC style pulled pork, green beans, decadent macaroni and cheese and mini-loaves of cornbread. I opted for the pulled pork since all of the tables set for dining were full and  I couldn't quite figure out how to gracefully navigate fried chicken while balancing dinner in my lap. 

Check out my dope plate...

Dr. Tom Hanchett, staff historian at the Levine Museum of the New South, opened the talk with a fun Q & A session about Charlotte's torrid history. Guests asked questions (Who's Sharon anyway?)  and learned interesting tidbits about our beloved Queen City. 

We were then introduced to Kristin Davis, extension agent for the NC Cooperative Extension. Davis is responsible for educating the public about local food, food safety and farmer's market outreach. She shared her journey to wellness and  stressed the importance of eating local and educating others about why local food matters, particularly relating it to the dramatic improvement in her own health. 

Davis was once sentenced to the early onset of diabetes and through dietary changes alone, altered her grim medical future for the better, receiving a clean bill of health just one year later. Today, she shares a passion for local food with people like Cassie Parsons, who she called a "trailblazer" in the local foods movement. 

Parsons, a chef, farmer and self-proclaimed pork peddler, joined the conversation relating her passion for the "forgotten arts" and knowing where our food comes from. Parsons herself has contributed $400,000 to locally produced food and briefly touched on the positive economic impact that can happen when a community buys local. Davis and Parsons both encouraged the crowd to rally support through education, involvement and dollars to local farmers.  

The message was clear. Local food awareness is steadily gaining a presence and the community plays a great part in its continued momentum. A number of organizations are joining the cause to support these endeavors . Davis says that the NC Cooperative Extension is making local food awareness their flagship cause this year and have already launched the 10% Campaign to build the local food economy. 

Want to stay informed? Check out the Mecklenburg Friends of Agriculture on Facebook.