The 30 Mile Meal Project has worked to bring food harvested in the Athens area to the tables of its residents since its inception almost three years ago.
Founder Natalie Woodroofe said the project is a localized effort of the nationwide 100 Mile Meal movement, which encourages people to use and eat local food.
Woodroofe also works for the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Woodroofe said the purpose of the project is to promote quality local food and produce while simultaneously supporting the local economy.
“Athens has a pretty good awareness of food as is, but (the project) has really increased awareness since it started,” said Kip Parker, manager of the Athens Farmers Market. “Hopefully it continues to grow all over Ohio and makes people more aware that naturally grown food is better.”
Armed with a newsletter, a blog and a variety of food events, the project has attracted about 140 restaurants and food producers in the Athens area, Woodroofe said.
The 30 Mile Meal Project, which seeks to promote local food year-round, began nearly four years ago, when the term “locavore” — a person interested in eating locally produced food — became popular.
“There was a lot of heat around the term ‘locavore’ and there were hundred-mile locavores popping up around the country, so we realized we could localize the project here, and have Athens at its epicenter,” Woodroofe said.
The project has partnered with the annual Pawpaw Festival and helped celebrate the Athens Farmers Market’s 40th anniversary this year.
The market is an independent food business that allows growers and producers to promote their food and sell them to local businesses and restaurants, Parker said.
In addition to spreading awareness, the 30 Mile Meal group has been beneficial in preserving food resources in Athens, said Kevin Tidd, co-owner of The Farmacy.
“As a business, I try to buy things from other local businesses to keep (the money) in the community,” Tidd said. “Having food shipped costs more money and the ecological and economic impact is huge.”
What makes the 30 Mile Meal Project so special, Woodroofe said, is that it also creates jobs in the local food business.
“Creating jobs is how you build sustainable economies,” she said. “What we want to do is make sure we have economic engines that are rooted in Athens so that we can create economic opportunities for the next generation.”
The project is still young, Woodroofe said, but she hopes to expand the 30 Mile Meal model. Youngstown, Huntington, W.Va., and Licking County have begun implementing their own projects.
“We need to preserve farmlands and build consumer loyalty and recognition so we can have long-term benefits,” Woodroofe said.
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