Festival Mission
Our festival mission is to:
- Generate increased demand for local and sustainably produced food through education and promotion.
- Support the growth and development of local farms and locally owned food-related businesses.
- Increase the availability and access of healthy local food to urban communities.
- Facilitate collaborations between local food farms, businesses, and public and non-profit organizations.
Festival Goals
The festival provides opportunities for local food-related businesses, initiatives and nonprofits to share their products, services and programs. Over 120 vendors and exhibitors and at least 20 stakeholder groups participate in the festival each year. Boston Local Food Festival attracts 50,000 people where it showcases and promotes:
- Specialty crops sold fresh or incorporated with local meat and dairy into ready to eat dishes.
- Food products produced in Greater Boston and stretching across Massachusetts.
- Local restaurants and chefs who emphasize local food on their menus.
- The work of local food and health-related nonprofit organizations.
Festival-goers will have the opportunity to:
- Speak with food growers and see and taste delicious and healthy food products grown and processed by farmers and entrepreneurs.
- Learn creative ways to grow sustainable food.
- Take home food from farmers and vendors.
- Enjoy local tastings prepared by well-known local chefs and cookbook authors, featuring fresh, local fruits, herbs, vegetables, seafood, and locally-grown meats.
- Experience educational exhibits and demonstrations that provide information on farms and gardens, nutrition and health, urban food initiatives, composting, beekeeping, and more.
- Participate in workshops featuring farmers and other food producers, local food leaders, and government representatives.
- Enjoy local music and art that celebrates the diversity of local food.
- Have a lot of fun!
Zero Waste Goals
While bringing all of these people together for a festive day, we also strive for a Zero Waste event with minimum impact to our environment. Every effort is made to create an affordable a zero waste event with collection of recyclables, compostable food and utensils and the small remainder of trash.
- Festival attendees are encouraged to arrive using public transportation.
- Food vendors use recyclable materials as much as possible and offer minimal paper and minimal plastic waste.
- Plastic containers are recycled.
- Food scraps are composted.
- The festival promotes interactive exhibits that share ways to live lighter on the earth.
- We highlight businesses and organizations that are also working toward these goals.
