It may not exactly look like deep winter, but spring is still a long way off and the soil in the gardens is pretty well frozen solid. I've got my seed catalogs out and I'm dreaming of fresh, local food. I'm thankful that my root cellar is still very full and keeping relatively well. But I wondered what else is to be found in the North Country on the "back side" of the farming calendar? This is a great time for locavores to rise to the challenge!

Last March, Adirondack Harvest teamed with Cornell Cooperative Extension to bring "Food From the Farm: Eating Local in Clinton County" to Plattsburgh. It was a huge hit and we vowed to make this an annual event – yet there was room for improvement, so get ready for the 2012 event! For starters we've expanded Food From the Farm to include producers in Essex and Franklin counties, offering a more diverse array of products. And to really expand, we've moved from the basement community room at the Plattsburgh City Gym upstairs to the actual gymnasium.

In one half of the gym, free and open to the public, will be over 20 tables and booths, essentially functioning as a farmers market with educational displays. There'll be even be locally grown wine to sample and purchase. It's a chance to meet the region's farmers, sample products and learn about the local food opportunities here – maybe even sign up for a CSA (you know you've been meaning to!) This market zone will remain open and active for the duration of the event. This way we won't have to turn away anyone at the door – it was awful to have to do that last year!

The other half of the gym will feature a sumptuous local food dinner produced by Chef David Allen of Longitude Catering in Plattsburgh. David and Adirondack Harvest have been working to track down local ingredients for the meal. David is being asked to perform a task similar to the "Iron Chef" program. We've given him a list of available ingredients; now it's up to him to produce the meal. All we ask is that he provide a nice variety of dishes from vegetarian to meat-heavy.

We've found all types of meat: beef, pork, lamb, chevon (goat), bison, chicken, turkey. Then there are all the things that store well: honey, maple products, cheese, and value added items like wine, jams, jellies, and other condiments. Hardy North Country hens continue to lay through the winter, so eggs are plentiful. We were most concerned about locating enough vegetables but we found squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, celeriac, carrots, beets, garlic, herbs (dried, frozen and fresh) kale, salad mix, spinach, pea shoots and sweet corn (canned at the peak of flavor!). And don't forget that we are blessed with wonderful local orchards so we have apples, cider and hard cider. The resultant menu we can only anticipate with eager tastebuds!

We've renamed the event "Food From the Farm: Eating Local in the North Country" to include the tri-county area. The date is Saturday, March 3 beginning at 4:00 pm with the farmers market/displays. The dinner will begin at 6:30 and requires a $20 pre-paid ticket for entry. Tickets are limited so purchase soon! They are available at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Clinton County (6064 State Rte. 22). For more information call 561-7450 or email Amy Ivy at

adi2@cornell.edu.

Adirondack Harvest is a regional organization dedicated to connecting our local farmers with consumers and can help you in your quest for local foods. Visit www.adirondackharvest.com for more information.

Laurie Davis is an Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Essex County and is the Coordinator for Adirondack Harvest. Office phone number: 962-4810 x404. Email lsd22@cornell.edu