The event will run from 7 pm to 9 pm, and will include a buffet-style tasting of dishes made with foods sourced from nearby farms, forests, and IslandWood’s gardens. This event is sold out, but Sound Food is planning more tastings throughout the season.

Sponsored by Sound Food and Sustainable Bainbridge, the event is intended to tap into increasing interest in using local foods, even in early spring when most vegetable gardens are just getting started, and the Bainbridge Farmers’ Market isn’t yet open for the season. The IslandWood kitchen team offered to create a menu to illustrate the fact that local foods are available now, even though people’s creativity might still be hibernating.

Most food available in grocery stores travels thousands of miles to get there, raising concerns about its freshness and the amount of fuel used in transporting it. In addition, local food supporters make the claim that buying locally supports both the local economy and the preservation of agricultural land. A recent study by a group called Sustainable Seattle found that a shift of 20% of our food dollars into locally-directed spending would result in a nearly one billion dollar annual income increase in the Central Puget Sound region, which includes Kitsap County.