Press Room

This week! Pasta, Produce, and a Proud Community

Thursday, August 26 2010

Sens. Schwartz and Whitehead to Work With Community on Local Food Issues

DELTA COUNTY—  This week, Senator Gail Schwartz and Senator Bruce Whitehead will take part in several events supporting local foods in Colorado. 

Senator Whitehead is the Chair and Senator Schwartz is the Vice- Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

Sen. Schwartz will first talk with members of the Delta County School Board to see how they can work together to get more local foods in school.  Then, Senator Schwartz will attend the Kids’ Pasta Project Dinner in Hotchkiss.  The Kids’ Pasta Project is an organization where kids grow all their own foods, sell the meals and donate the proceeds to community projects. According to their website the Kids’ Pasta Project is a program “where kids serve the community by preparing and serving freshly-made pasta dinners and donating profits to local causes!”   You can see the list of KPP recipients here.  The dinner on Monday benefits The Harvest Lunch Project, a program of the Western Colorado Food and Ag Council.  

Tuesday, August 31, Senator Whitehead will join Sen. Schwartz to moderate a panel discussion on local foods with guests from the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture, USDA, CSU, and local agricultural producers. The public is encouraged to participate in the discussion. Rural America raises the food that none of us can live without. How do we support our best efforts and enjoy the fruits of our labor?  Have some ideas? Bring them with you. Sen. Schwartz  and Sen. Whitehead want to identify opportunities and talk about solutions.

Following the discussion, the Senators will tour three local farms in the region and talk with them about how they support Colorado’s economy and what Colorado can do to support them.  Please contact us if you are with the media and wish to join them on the tour.

WHAT:  Kids Pasta Project Dinner

WHEN:  6pm, Monday, August 30, 2010

WHERE: Scenic Mesa Ranch, 7179 Scenic Mesa Rd., Hotchkiss, CO

MORE INFO:  $10/adult, $6/child includes homemade pasta, bread & fresh salad

($2 extra for meat sauce or meatballs) and $2 for dessert!  Reservations only. 

To make reservations, email: kidspastaproject@gmail.com