September is Proclaimed “Idaho Preferred® Month”
for the Tenth Year in a Row

September 2016 marks the tenth annual Idaho Preferred® Month as proclaimed by Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter. Idaho Preferred® Month was established in 2007 to celebrate the height of harvest season and the bounty of local food and beverage products available in September. This is the month when the most fresh, local produce is available at farmers’ markets, retail stores, on restaurant menus and in school cafeterias.

The month-long celebration will kick-off this year in Northern Idaho at the Schweitzer Fall Festival in Sandpoint on Friday, September 3 through Monday, September 5, 2016. This northern event of the summer is expected to have around 7,500 attendees throughout the three-day festival of local music, food, wine, crafts and over eighty local micro-brews, beers and ciders. The Idaho Preferred® team will sample local apples from Henggeler Packing Co. and Litehouse Foods yogurt dip, which is made with Idaho dairy in their Sandpoint plant. Idaho Preferred® will work to educate festival-goers about choosing local, seasonal products and the importance of Idaho agriculture.

Idaho Preferred® will continue to promote local agriculture throughout Idaho Preferred Month through social media, Google, television ads, retail in-store product demos, farmers’ markets and more. View the full schedule of Idaho Preferred® Month events below.

Idaho Preferred® Month Promotional Calendar:

• Sept 1-5 – Twin Falls Fair display in Ag Pavilion
• Sept 3 – Bell Ringer at Capital City Public Market proclaiming Idaho Preferred® Month
• Sept 3-5 –Schweitzer Mountain Fall Fest in Sandpoint
• Sept 3-11 – In-store peach demos, Walmart, select stores statewide
• Sept 9-11 – In-store peach demos, Albertsons, all Idaho stores
• Sept 17 – In-store local product demos, Whole Foods, Boise
• Sept 20-22 – Media tour with Idaho Wine Commission
• Every Saturday in Sept – Idaho Preferred tent at the Boise Farmers Market
• Various dates – fresh produce demos in Swensens (Twin Falls area), Broulims (Eastern Idaho), and Atkinsons (Sun Valley)

Follow Idaho Preferred® on social media!

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Help us spread the #local Idaho love on social media channels!
When you choose to purchase local food and beverage product in retail stores, farmers markets and restaurants, take a picture and tag @IdahoPreferred and use our hashtags #IdahoPreferredMonth #IdahoPreferred #LiveEatLocal

During the month of September Idaho Preferred® encourages Idahoans to support Idaho farmers, ranchers and processors by choosing local products when they shop or dine out. Take the Local Pledge at IdahoPreferred.com to sign up for the monthly newsletter featuring seasonal local products, recipes, events and an Idaho restaurant of the month.

—

About Idaho Preferred®

Idaho Preferred® is a program managed by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to promote the quality, diversity and availability of local food and agricultural products we grow, raise and process in Idaho. Idaho Preferred® strives to increase consumer awareness of local farmers, ranchers and food processors, provide education and information about seasonal local product availability, outreach to local communities and schools as well as provide a connection between producers and retailers.

For more information, or to notify the Idaho Preferred® team of a local event featuring Idaho agricultural products, please contact Emily Del Favero at (208) 332-8532 or email .