Governor and First Lady O’Malley Host Seventh Annual Buy Local Cookout 

Governor O’Malley and Chef Rasheed Abdurrahman (center), Wild Onion Cafe in Hyattsville (Prince George’s County) with featured recipe “Asian Grilled Flank Steak with Grilled Corn Salad”.

Governor celebrates “Buy Local Challenge” Week with cookout featuring local products, recipes, chefs        

ANNAPOLIS, MD  – Governor Martin O’Malley and First Lady Katie O’Malley hosted the seventh annual Buy Local Cookout at Government House this evening and officially recognized Maryland’s Buy Local Challenge Week, which encourages Marylanders to incorporate at least one locally grown, produced or harvested product into their meals each day. Governor O’Malley officially declared July 19-27 as “Buy Local Challenge Week” to raise awareness about the benefits of local farms and food so that Marylanders will become more familiar and more frequent consumers of fresh, local products.

Governor O’Malley has supported the Buy Local Challenge for the last seven years and began hosting the cookout during his second year in office. The event, also attended by Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, marked the seventh – and last – cookout of the O’Malley-Brown Administration.

“‘Buy Local’ is more than a slogan – it’s a movement to preserve farmland, protect the environment, bolster local economies, and provide wholesome, nutritious, great-tasting fresh food for more Maryland families,” said Governor O’Malley. “As we celebrate the seventh year of the Buy Local Cookout at Government House, Katie and I encourage all of our fellow Marylanders to find local farmers markets and purchase locally grown products for their favorite dishes, not just during Buy Local Challenge Week, but all year long.” 

“The farmers, providers, chefs, and small business owners who make Buy Local Challenge Week possible play a critical role in creating jobs in communities throughout our state,” said Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. “By supporting our agricultural community and the small businesses that use their products, we’ll continue to strengthen and grow Maryland’s diverse economy.”

The Buy Local Challenge, created in 2006 by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, has grown into a statewide initiative that has continued to grow. In its 2010 Policy Choices Survey, the University of Baltimore Schaefer Center for Public Policy found that more than 78 percent of Marylanders said they want to buy produce grown by a Maryland farmer. 

“Today, there are 145 farmers markets in Maryland and the demand for local products continues to grow,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “We are working hard to connect local producers with local consumers, and we invite everyone to check our searchable database at www.marylandsbest.net to find local products and markets near them.”

Earlier this year, Governor O’Malley invited teams of chefs and at least one farmer, waterman or producer to submit recipes featuring locally grown, raised or harvested ingredients. Of the 28 recipes submitted, 16 were selected for the cookout based on their creativity, availability of ingredients, geographic representation, and maximum use of local ingredients. Government House chefs provided an additional dish for the cookout.

All recipe submissions have been compiled and published in the 2014 Buy Local Cookout Recipes, which includes wine pairing recommendations by the Maryland Wineries Association. This year’s cookbook and all previous cookbooks are available free and online here.

Also donating products to the cookout are: Baywater Greens, Firefly Farms, GreenStreet Gardens, Maryland Wineries Association, the Amber Fields Malting & Brewing Co./Monocacy Brewing Co., Honest Tea and Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company.

In addition, three of the eight dairy farms on Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail – Kilby Cream, Rocky Point Creamery and South Mountain Creamery – donated ice cream. Blackwater Distilling and Lyon Distilling also offered samplings of their spirits.

Agriculture contributes $8.25 billion annually and 45,600 jobs to our state’s economy every year, according to a University of Maryland Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics 2013 report.

During his remarks, the Governor highlighted several agricultural accomplishments during the O’Malley Brown Administration:

• Permanently preserved 58,013 acres covering 464 farms since 2007 for a total of 292,357 acres representing a public investment of over $645 million since the program began in 1977.
• Provided $93 million to support cover crops, funding every eligible acre farmers planted, since 2007.
• Supported the creation of the Jane Lawton Farm to School Program. Maryland public schools spent $9.3 million on local food for school meals during the 2011-2012 school year.
• Provided farmers with nearly $34 million in cost-share grants to prevent 1.95 million pounds of nitrogen and 370,000 pounds of phosphorous from entering the Chesapeake Bay from 2007 to 2012.
• Provided more funding than any other Administration for the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program including a record $25.5 million in grants in FY2012.

For more information on agricultural accomplishments, visit: www.mda.maryland.gov/Documents/Accomplishments_07-2014.pdf

Attendance at the cookout was by invitation only. The guest list included agricultural leaders, producers, chefs, buyers from groceries, restaurants and institutions, and “buy local” advocates.

• See recipes featured at the cookout or see recipes by county.
• See brief biographies of each featured chef and producer
• For more information, including menu stats and more, visit the MDA website.

Find local Maryland products, locate a farmers market and more at: www.marylandsbest.net. 

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