TROY — The Miami County Local Food Council held their seventh annual Locavore Dinner at Lost Creek Reserve Wednesday evening, Sept 14.

The Local Food Council aims to educate citizens on eating locally and keeping their money in the community by buying meat, produce and other items locally rather than from big chains like Kroger and Walmart.

The Locavore Dinner is an annual event, usually occurring in the fall, that the Miami County Local Food Council puts on for the community to truly experience locally grown food cooked by restaurants in the Miami County. Wednesday’s dinner was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shutdown.

The ingredients for all appetizers, main courses and desserts are sourced from local farmers, producers and markets then brought to different Miami County restaurants for them to prepare the meals for the Locavore Dinner.

Vendors for the event included Basil & Bloom, Blue Collar Honey Bees, Riparian Homestead, Rosebud’s Real Food, Shellabarger Produce, Simple Living Farm, Wild Farm, El Tomate Feliz, Marrs Produce, Patchwork Gardens, Bear’s Mill, Hartzler Family Dairy, Indian Creek Creamery, Our Fathers Food, Burns’ Green Leaf Market, Grumpy Goat Experiment, Haren’s Market, Hayner Distilling Co., Honey Creek Beef, Mile Creek Farm, King & Sons Poultry Services Inc., Ruth Packing, Blue Jacket Dairy, Olive Oasis, Someone’s in the Kitchen, Sugar Grove Maple Products, Ella Bella Homemade, Chez Nous Farm, Harold Nuss, Marie Francis and Winans Chocolate+Coffee.

“We are here to support local growers and farmers and keep more of our money in Miami County,” said Kelly Snyder, member of the Miami County Local Food Council.

The Locavore Dinner included appetizers, dinner and dessert. The appetizers were dill pickles and pickled beet eggs prepared by the Miami County Local Food Council; On the Trail Mix, made by Emily Snyder from Emi’s Kitchen; and traditional salsas and house made corn chips, from Jessica Moreno and Julio Olayo at La Catrina. Bread and butter were also precursors to the main course. Sourdough bread was provided by Bryan Begg and Bakehouse Bread and Cookie Co. and corn muffins were made by Dinah Beck at Someone’s in the Kitchen.

The main courses of the Locavore Dinner included three meat courses for attendees to choose from and two vegetarian or vegan options. Cowboy bourbon beef ‘N beans on fried corn grit cake, smoked ham hock and greens and spotted pup were the meat options prepared by Connor Haren from Haren’s Market. The vegetarian and vegan options included around the fire lentil soup and a hearty fall salad from Amber Sowers and ReU Juicery.

Desserts were made by Adam Berning from Sweet Adaline’s Bakery and Amber Stephenson from Rosebud’s Real Food. Sweet Adaline’s bakery provided branded cookies for the event and Rosebud’s Real Food made gluten free espresso salted brownies.

Other than food, the Miami County Local Food Council procured local drink vendors for the event as well. They brought craft beer from Crooked Handle Brewing Co. and hard cider and wine from Twenty One Barrels as well as pumpkin trail iced lattes and brewed coffee from Josh Landis and Pouring Kindness Coffee. Each ticket purchased included the individual’s meal and one drink ticket for a free drink from any of the beverage vendors. More drink tickets were available for purchase at the event, the purchase of additional drink tickets also entered attendees into a raffle.

The Locavore Dinner event also had live music performed by Colin Richards and a chuck wagon and cast iron cooking display.

The Miami County Local Food Council’s mission is to develop, support and promote local food, farmers and producers while improving public health and the economy by connecting citizens with healthy local foods. The Locavore Dinner is one of multiple events the council hosts to help them achieve their mission. Another event the council takes responsibility for it the Cherry Street Farmer’s Market on Sundays in Troy.