Food enthusiasts, local residents and students gathered outside of the Boston Children’s Museum to learn about local foods, try free samples and talk to farmers, chefs and entrepreneurs on Saturday.
The Boston Local Food Festival, sponsored by the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston, was created to make attendees more aware of the benefits of eating locally grown food.
Laury Hammel, executive director of the Sustainable Business Network, headed the festival.
“[Sustainable Business Network] decided to try to transform the food system in Boston and this was a great way to focus on, showcase the local food and develop their connections in Boston,” Hammel said. “We want to show these local vendors to the citizens of Boston.”
Along with dozens of food samples, Boston residents and others enjoyed demonstrations, activities and local music.
One group at the festival was Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, a local non-profit organization.
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay had a live lobster in a touch tank outside their tent and also taught children how to fish, allowing them to practice in the Fort Point Channel.
Emily Bosco, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, heard about the festival through the Community Service Center and decided to sign up as a volunteer.
“I love food and it was for a good cause. It sounded like a great time. I don’t do much community service but I figured it was a beautiful day, why not?” Bosco said.
Live music played as more than 200 people littered the lawn and the pier to taste local food, making the festival organizers’ goal of zero waste a challenge.
With the goal, they hoped to maximize recycling, minimize waste and reduce consumption, setting up 25 waste stations throughout festival grounds.
Hilary Sugg, a sophomore in the School of Education, said she had a positive experience at the festival.
“I signed up to volunteer at the Boston Local Food Festival because I’m interested in sustainable foods and businesses. I thought it would be fun to participate in this first-ever event, and it definitely was,” Sugg said.
“I volunteered as a “Zero-Waste” coordinator, meaning that I made sure waste, recyclables and compostables all ended up in their correct spaces,” she said. “I’m a recycling freak, so this opportunity was great and I learned a lot. I’ll definitely be interested in volunteering next year.”
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
