BY KAREN BOSSICK

About 3,500 copies of the Third Annual Wood River Valley Locally Grown Guide are now out on the stands.

This year’s guide has increased the number of listings to 130, ranked restaurants to recognize those with a high commitment to using local ingredients and is offering information for reducing food waste.

The free guide was designed to help consumers learn about the people who grow their food, said Amy Mattias, program director for the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience which published the guide.

“Loyalty to local producers ensures a prosperous future for family farmers throughout the region,” she added. 

The guide is on Sun Valley Source magazine racks and at local businesses throughout the Wood River Valley.

It lists farms and ranches, farmers’ markets, local food retailers, restaurants, food artisans, beverage crafters, caterers and private chefs, food-focused events and organizations supporting local food in the valley.

Maps orient residents and visitors where to find local food, and a seasonal produce chart helps consumers known when to expect their favorite products.

New gold, silver and bronze basket rankings recognize restaurants and chefs that use local ingredients based on the number of local producers each entity reported using in their dishes.

Information on reducing food waste will help those who follow the suggestions reduce carbon and methane emissions, said Mike Gordon, the Institute’s communications manager.

“Studies show that one-third of all food purchased by households is wasted,” he said. “Every time you throw food out, you are increasing the cost of the food you eat while adding to the landfill.”

The guide is made possible with donations from individuals and sponsorships from such businesses as Atkinsons’ Markets, Stevenson Real Estate Group, Mowbray Sporthorses and the Sun Valley Culinary Institute.

To celebrate its launch, representatives of the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience will be at the Ketchum and Hailey Farmers’ Markets at the end of the June.  They will have copies of the guide, kids activities and a special launch promotion in collaboration with Roadbars.

The guide is also available for digital viewing at  https://www.sunvalleyinstitute.org/locallygrownguide.org.

The Locally Grown Guide is a publication of Local Food Alliance, a program of the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience. The Institute builds social, economic and ecological resilience by connecting capital to community needs through the Impact Idaho Fund. To learn more, visit www.sunvalleyinstitute.org.