Buy Fresh Buy Local and the Living Kitchen

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Buy Fresh Buy Local is the name of project sponsored by
the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Oklahoma
Sustainability Network. The program is starting in the Tulsa
area and hopes to widen its reach over time.

Last night in Bristow at the Living Kitchen farm table dinner
two of Tulsa's farmer's market managers sat with us.


Rita Scott manages the Thursday night market at 6Th and Peoria and is working with Doug Walton of the Kerr Center on the Buy Fresh Buy Local roll out. Another key player, Leslie Moyer, manages the Wednesday farmer's market at 41st and Peoria in Tulsa.


Garden Rant, one of the most popular gardening blogs on the Internet, sent out a piece on sustainability yesterday, called "Carbon Calculations in the Garden" that discusses some of the issues surrounding the eat local movement that is stirring up conversation and controversy around the world and across world markets.

The Living Kitchen Farm and Garden grows much of the food they serve. The ingredients used are grown or made in Oklahoma. For example, last night's dinner included: Hinton Oklahoma raised Witchita Buffalo; Armenian cucumbers from Three Springs Farm; apricots, corn and poblano peppers from Shanksfarm; wine from Tidal School Vineyards in Drumright, butter from Wagon Creek Creamery; and, garlic, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, zucchini and potatoes from Living Kitchen's own farm and gardens.

Photo: Bibi - that incredible chef at Living Kitchen

The menu last night: Mint Rhubarb Julep with zucchini fritters, herb goat cheese on toast points and chipotle cream cheese with chips.Fried green tomatoes with purple hull bean and corn salad; tomatillo soup with potato herb dumpling, watermelon and lime sorbet, chicken friend buffalo served over poblano mashed potatoes with cream gravy and fried burgundy okra. Hot apple fritters with Porter peach ice cream. Coffee and wine as desired.

Muskogee's Farmer's Market is managed by Doug Walton of the Kerr Center this year. Walton can be reached at 918.686.6939 and via email at doug.walton@suddenlink.net - he has added a table at the Muskogee Farmer's Market for food donations and the Plant a Row for the Hungry Program.

You may not know that the eat local movement was originally funded by the federal government after the 9/11/01 New York City tragedy. That funding is gone now but the idea to buy locally and reduce the amount of transportation required for food has taken on a life of its own.

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