2019 MQT Local Food Fest taking place this weekend

MARQUETTE — The local food system in the Marquette area is an important part of bringing the community together. A celebration of all the food produced in this area is taking place this weekend.

The 2019 MQT Local Food Fest will be held Saturday, October 12th, at the Ramada Inn in Marquette from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The event is presented by Michigan’s local food marketing agency Taste the Local Difference.

The Food Fest will be a celebration of local foods from the farm to the table. It’s also an opportunity for people to come together in the name of something we all enjoy, whether they’re farmers or the people who buy what the farmer’s produce.

The MQT Local Food Fest and the local food system in general also support the community economically. All the money invested in local produce goes right back into the community.

“You probably hear a lot of the health reasons, and I think and there’s a huge social impact. When you’re shopping at the co-op or at a farmer’s market you run into people and have conversations with the farmers,” said Alexandria Palzewics, Local Food Projects Manager for the U.P. Food Exchange. “But I would have to say there’s also an economic impact that is really important. We can’t build a food system unless we invest in it. So investing that money that you spend for your food on local producers here in your own neighborhood is really important, because that money stays in our community and goes back to schools and things that are happening right here for us.”

On Thursday, the U.P. Food Exchange dropped off a large amount of food to the kitchen at the Jacobetti Complex at Northern Michigan University. All the chefs participating on Saturday are NMU alumni, returning to their alma mater to take part in this celebration of local food and bringing people together.

You can find more information about the 2019 Marquette Local Food Fest here or at the event’s Facebook page.