Maryland Department of Agriculture Launches ‘Maryland’s Best Restaurant’ Promotion

Join #BuyLocal Seasonal Movement that Brings Customers through Doors

ANNAPOLIS, MD –The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Maryland’s Best program is launching a new state-wide seasonal promotion with restaurants. Maryland’s Best is the source to find the best local food and products from Maryland farmers. The promotion, “Maryland’s Best Restaurants” runs August through October, encouraging restaurants to source, purchase, prepare with, and promote local Maryland specialty crops on their menus and online.

“We’re encouraging restaurants to buy from and promote their support of local farmers who are now offering seasonal specialty crops, such as melons, tomatoes, and sweet corn,” said Secretary of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder. “Restaurants participating in this campaign will not only appeal to customers who want to eat local but also contribute to the economic growth of Maryland.”

Participating restaurants can sign up at http://marylandsbest.net/marylands-best-restaurant-promotion.Benefits include the following:

• Maryland’s Best window decal, stickers and check inserts to publicize support
• Maryland’s Best grocery bag for farmer’s market shopping
• Maryland’s Best Restaurants live link listing on Maryland’s Best and mentioned on all MDsBest social media accounts
• Maryland’s Best logo for use on restaurant web and social media sites
• Maryland’s Best Restaurants listing on a future mobile app (software application) being developed by MDA for consumers to find eateries cooking with local produce

Using social media, the department is also encouraging Maryland restaurateurs to snap “selfies” with their favorite farmer, specialty crop and/or local summer produce menu item and post them on the Maryland’s Best Facebook page and on Instagram and Twitter using @MDsBest and the hash-tags: #BuyLocal, #FarmersMarket, #MDsBest #GetYourFreshOn. The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Maryland’s Best program will monitor the contest to determine the restaurant with the most posts, to be announced in November.

The late summer/early fall months are traditionally strong months for Maryland farmers, selling carrots, peaches, grapes, watermelons, tomatoes, sweet corn, cantaloupes, honeydew, a wide variety of berries, pumpkins, beets, pears, plums, apples, sweet corn, garlic, potatoes, eggplant, honey, and all types squash and greens. To find local farmers markets, pick your own operations and agritourism operations in Maryland, visit the Maryland’s Best website.

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Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Twitter @MdAgDept