We’re chomping down on one of our favorite local celebrations of the year – Eat Local Week, organized by THRIVE (The Rogue Initiative for a Vital Economy). This year the festivities run September 7th-16th, and include great ways for recognizing the fresh and fantastic food that’s grown, raised or produced in our region. It’s also a chance for Southern Oregon businesses to highlight local ingredients in food, offer tastings, teach class demonstrations, host tours and more.

For the celebration, our specials board at Standing Stone is chalked extra full of local farm names and the fresh ingredients they’re bringing us during the peak harvest season in the Rogue Valley. We’re also featuring eggs and beef from our farmland on our menu and as specials every day. And of course, the beer on tap at Standing Stone is always locally brewed, served fresh from our brewing tanks to your pint glass.

This year we’re serving up a Standing Stone farm tour on the menu of Rogue Valley events for Eat Local Week. Friday, September 14th at 6pm we’re talking a guided walk around our pastures and everyone is welcome to join! We’ll be introducing all our farm animals, talking about our compost program, and enjoying the view from our hillside on Eagle Mill Rd. We recommend bringing your favorite farm boots as there’s lots of ground to cover and tall grass to stroll through.

To get there from Standing Stone, follow Oak St. to the very bottom (about a mile down the road) and take a right on to Eagle Mill Rd. Immediately after the overpass, our farm entrance is the next driveway on the left. We’ll have lots of room for bicycle parking inside our pastures and encourage everyone to use their two-wheeled transportation to enjoy the fresh air and great views.

Remember, there are lots of other fun ways to get involved with Eat Local Week, too. Here are some other suggestions for celebrating this tasty annual affair:

• Pledge to eat local all week with the Eat Local Challenge. Record your participation and be entered to win a gift certificate for the Rogue Valley Local Foods Online Market.
• Attend one (or more) of the many film showings with the Food for Thought Film Festival.
• Visit your favorite weekly Growers and Crafters Market and meet the farmers and producers this week is all about! For the occasion, in addition bringing together wonderful local vendors showcasing their fresh and tasty foods, the market will host chef demonstrations and tomato tastings.
• Sign up for the Rogue Flavor Farm Tour and Dinner, Sunday, September 16th. The daylong adventure includes tours of farms in Eagle Point and Sams Valley, followed by food and music at local winery, Cliff Creek Cellars.

We hope to see you on our Standing Stone Farm tour, and in the brewpub enjoying any of our locally inspired dishes. On Saturdays, delight in heaps of fresh goodies at the Growers and Crafters Market right outside our front doors on Oak St. from 8:30-1:30pm, and stop in for breakfast or lunch once you’ve worked up appetite from perusing the yummy fare.