Eat Local Week Returns to Sarasota and Manatee Counties to Celebrate the Local Food Movement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eat Local Week Returns to Sarasota and Manatee Counties to Celebrate the Local Foodshed
Community Harvest SRQ announces the dates and theme of Eat Local Week 2025.
Sarasota, Florida – August 26, 2025
Today, Community Harvest SRQ announced the dates and theme of Eat Local Week 2025, set to take place from November 1-9, 2025 at various locations throughout Sarasota, Manatee, and surrounding counties. This year’s theme — Rooted in Our Local Foodshed — reflects the organization’s belief that a strong, resilient future begins in the soil, the stories, and the systems that sustain the regional food ecosystem.
“This vibrant, week-long celebration across Sarasota and Manatee counties features garden tours, workshops, and feasts that reconnect us to our local food, farmers, and each other,” said Alia Garrett, Board Member of Community Harvest SRQ. “It's a special and meaningful solution to a critical need: building a more resilient, equitable, and connected local food system.”
Eat Local Week addresses a persistent challenge in Southwest Florida: while the region is rich in agricultural heritage, many community members remain disconnected from the local food system due to issues of access, affordability, and knowledge. This event directly tackles these gaps by making the local food system visible, tangible, and celebrated.
The 2025 schedule will feature dozens of events, including:
The 9th Annual Big Mama’s Collard Green Festival (BMCGF), hosted by Newtown Nation, Inc.
The Annual Deaf Community Picnic at Oscar Scherer State Park, hosted by VISCOM Sign Language Interpreting Services.
Sarasota County’s 20th Annual Sustainable Communities Workshop, the area’s premier annual sustainability workshop of all local stakeholders.
The Annual Farm-to-Fork Dinner, a collaboration of several farms, with farmers serving and educating about their wares, hosted at Blumenberry Farms.
A tour of a 1.5-acre food forest installation with remarkable diversity, abundance, and foodscaping with ZZ Design Services.
Chef Guy’s bespoke Sicilian dinner made with 90% local food sourced out of season.
An ethnobotany tour at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Historic Spanish Point Campus, honoring the legacy of the Calusa and Tocobaga.
A large native and edible plant sale in the DeSoto Acres area of north Sarasota.
By gathering partners from across the region, Eat Local Week 2025 plants the seeds for long-term systemic change, bringing communities together to build a healthier, more inclusive food future for all.
For more information and the full event schedule, please visit: www.communityharvestsrq.org/elw2025.
Media Contact:
Andrew Husdon, M.Div.
Director of Programs
andrew@communityharvestsrq.org
(941) 702-2906
###
About Eat Local Week 2025
Eat Local Week 2025 will celebrate a decade and a half of community food resilience while looking forward with renewed commitment to reducing waste, promoting ecological stewardship, and building cross-sector relationships. Inspired by regenerative design and post-growth thinking, Eat Local Week is a model of localized action with scalable impact: an annual, regional celebration that deepens public understanding, connects our community, and supports food sovereignty across Southwest Florida.
About Community Harvest SRQ
Community Harvest SRQ (Transitions Sarasota) is a locally rooted nonprofit that cultivates food system transformation through community-driven solutions. Now in our 15th year, we continue to draw on the wisdom of the Transition Towns movement and regenerative thinkers to connect the power of local food, economy, and community to build a more just and resilient future for all. We proudly serve Sarasota, Manatee, and surrounding counties. We are a proud member of the Resilience Incubator, a collaborative of nonprofits building community-powered solutions to climate change. Our work honors the land, uplifts meaningful partnerships, and invests in grassroots leadership as we collaborate with other Resilience Incubator organizations to develop practical solutions that nourish people and possibility. To learn more, visit www.communityharvestsrq.org.