Events

Buy Fresh Buy Local events and other local food happenings in Virginia.

Sep 6: "Meet Yer Eats" 2010 Farm Tour

(Charlottesville) Bring the family to explore 18 working farms in the Charlottesville area during this tour sponsored by Market Central & Whole Foods. See how and where local food is grown and buy a variety of produce straight from the farmers.

Sep 10: Historic Plants Symposium

(Charlottesville) Join Thomas Jefferson's Monticello for a Historic Plants Symposium to learn about Thomas Jefferson's legacy in the garden. Learn about historic plants and gardening traditions, recipes, and cuisine from food historians.

Sep 10: Dinner and Evening with Rosalind Creasy at Monticello

(Charlottesville) Join Rosalind Creasy, pioneering author of "The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping" during a discussion of cooking, gardening, and preparing seasonal fruits & vegetables. A locally grown dinner follows the lecture.

Sep 10:'Outstanding in the Field' Dinner

(Loudoun) Reserve your tickets today for this amazing local food dinner held at Ayrshire Farm. Outstanding in the Field is a restaurant without walls traveling all of the world--and is stopping in Loudoun for a delicious local food dinner.

Sep 11: Heritage Harvest Festival

(Charlottesville) Celebrate local food during this family-oriented, educational festival at Monticello--that highlights organic gardening, preservation or traditional agriculture and regional food, and includes tastings, workshops, and much more.

Sep 11: 13th Annual Taste of Rappahannock

(Rappahannock) Spend the evening enjoying locally grown food & wine at the 13th Annual Taste of Rappahannock dinner. This event is sponsored by the Headwaters Foundation and proceeds go to benefit the children of Rappahannock County.

Sep 12: 'Outstanding in the Field' Dinner in Purcellville

(Loudoun) Reserve your tickets today for this amazing local food dinner held at Potomac Vegetable Farms. Outstanding in the Field is a restaurant without walls traveling all of the world--and is stopping in Loudoun for a delicious local food dinner.

Sep 13: Canning Workshop: Tomatoes

(Rappahannock) Learn the basics of home canning during this "can along" workshop at Laughing Duck Gardens. Each session is 2.5 hours and participants will learn a few recipes and take home a full jar of the summer's bounty-this month: tomatoes.

Sep 15: An Evening with an Edamame Farmer

(Buckingham) Come join the Naylor family at their farm to learn about the local production of Edamame. There are opportunities to grow test plots of this increasingly popular food in 2011, and they would love to share their knowledge and enthusiasm.

Sep 18: Wine Festival at Monticello

(Charlottesville) Spend the evening enjoying fine wine and live music at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Stroll around the gardens after hours and learn about Jefferson's passion for wine and take a tour of the recently restored wine cellar.

Sep 18: Extending the Harvest & Cold Weather Seed Starting

(Rappahannock) Get a jump start on your spring garden and learn about soil, sowing and transplanting times, varieties and types of cold-worthy plants and lots more during this workshop at Artemisia Garden.

Sep 19: 2nd Annual Harvfest

(Clarke) Celebrate local food, farming, and history in Berryville at the 2nd Annual Harvfest! There will be local food vendors, wineries, a beer tent, live music, farm exhibits, kids activities and historic house and farm tours for guests to enjoy.

Sep 25: PEC's 2010 Fall Meeting

(Loudoun) PEC's fall meeting will be held at the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center, and will focus on a "Showcase of Piedmont Initiatives." Come hear staff talk about water quality, local food, land conservation and more.

Sep 25: Seed Saving Workshop

(Charlottesville) Learn the dynamics of seed production—pollination, timing, seed identification, cleaning, and storing—then visit the gardens for a hands-on collecting demonstration, during this two-and-a-half-hour workshop.

Sep 25-26: 2nd Annual Rappahannock Farm Tour

(Rappahannock) Travel to more than 20 Rappahannock farms, orchards, and wineries during this special weekend-long farm tour. This event is family-friendly and features tours, presentations, demonstrations & a farmers' market.

Sep 27: Canning Workshop: Apples

(Rappahannock) Learn the basics of home canning during this "can along" workshop at Laughing Duck Gardens. Each session is 2.5 hours and participants will learn a few recipes and take home a full jar of the summer's bounty--this month: apples.

Oct 2: Planning for Your New Kitchen Garden

(Rappahannock) Get a head start on your spring garden! Learn everything you need to know to design and build a successful kitchen garden in the fall/winter and plant in the spring.

Oct 2-3: 13th Annual Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour

(Culpeper) Spend the weekend experiencing life on the farm in beautiful Culpeper County. Visit a variety of farms growing everything from herbs and flowers to cattle and bison. Bring the whole family to enjoy the tour which begins in Downtown Culpeper.

Oct 9: Grow Your Own Farm to Table Program

(Rappahannock) Do you want to serve more student-grown foods in your local schools or want to start a Farm to Table program in your area? Find out how to get started at this workshop that includes presentations from statewide panelists, a tour, and more.

Oct 10: Taste of Culpeper

(Culpeper) Sample the very best in local cuisine from the region's unique restaurants and caterers during this annual food event in downtown Culpeper sponsored by Culpeper Renaissance Inc.

Oct 11: Canning Workshop: Pears

(Rappahannock) Learn the basics of home canning during this "can along" workshop at Laughing Duck Gardens. Each session is 2.5 hours and participants will learn a few recipes and take home a full jar of the summer's bounty--this month: pears.

Oct 16: Apple Tasting at Monticello

(Charlottesville) Spend the morning savoring delicious apples at this annual event at Monticello. Tom Burford will provide numerous apple varieties for tasting and a discussion of their history and culture during this 2-hour program.

Oct 16: Chocolate Festival

(Charlottesville) Come share a love for chocolate with members of First United Methodist Church, while benefiting local charities. Activities include a 5K run&walk, pancake breakfast, silent auction, musical entertainment and children's activities!

Oct 16-17: Loudoun County Farm Color Tour

(Loudoun) Enjoy the fall colors as you explore farms in Loudoun County during this self-guided tour. Chat with farm and winery owners, see sheep and horses in their natural environments, and pick apples, pumpkins, and more along the way.

Oct 21: Fresh, The Movie

(Clarke) Come out to the State Arboretum for a movie screening of "Fresh, The Movie." This independent film celebrates small farms, local foods, and the people and businesses that are re-inventing the American food system.

Oct 30: Cooking Unusual Vegetables

(Charlottesville) Learn how to prepare odd and unusual vegetables during this workshop, with Gabriele Rausse--a chef revered by his colleagues and friends for his ability to simply transform ordinary and unusual garden produce into delicious meals.

Nov 13: Vinegar Making Workshop

(Charlottesville) Join wine-maker and master chef Gabriele Rausse in reviewing the basic principles of vinegar-making, and then learn how to use it in preparing vegetables and meat and in concocting delicious aromatized dressings.