100 Mile Thanksgiving

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 18:29:36 -0500

University of Virginia Urban and Environmental Planning students organize a “Local Thanksgiving Meal” each fall to celebrate local food with friends and faculty. The annual event began in 2006 when Professor Tim Beatley worked with students to accept the challenge to source all food for the event from within a 100 mile radius of the City of Charlottesville posed by Canadian author Alisa Smith (co-author of Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100-MIle Diet).

The first year was a learning experience for students and faculty alike as they researched sources for local food and prepared dishes. Fall 2007 saw the edition of a “glocal” theme recognizing the relationship between local foods and the global environment. Students emphasized food heritage in 2008 with a highlight on the story behind the foods - this included family recipes, regional and cultural dishes, and personal stories connecting guests to the food.

For more information about 100-mile challenges visit:
http://100milediet.org/faqs

Projects

100 Mile Thanksgiving