SKOWHEGAN – “Farms and Farm Markets in the Somerset County Area,” a free booklet listing 70 local sources for fresh healthy breads, cheeses, eggs, fruits and berries, meats, milk, vegetables and seedlings produced on farms in the region, is available at numerous locations throughout the Somerset County area.

Updated and published by a grassroots network of Eat Smart Eat Local enthusiasts from Somerset County and surrounding towns, the directory lists farms and farm markets offering fresh food, farm tours, pick-your-own berries and value-added products.

University of Maine intern KC Duffy-Stanley conducted the outreach effort to update this year’s booklet and many community partners helped with the publication and distribution.

“This is a true community effort,” said Kathleen Beauregard, project coordinator for the Western Mountains Alliance. “There is a growing recognition in the region that agriculture, and particularly small rural farms, are a vital part of the economy. Every dollar spent to feed ourselves and our families reflects a choice we have made about our health, the protection of the environment and the strength of our local community economy. Now is the time to get to know the farmers nearby and experience the fresh taste of eating smart and eating local.”

Booklets can be picked up at the UMaine Cooperative Extension Office or at libraries and businesses throughout the area. People may call Western Mountains Alliance for a copy at 778-3885 or download it from www.westernmountainsalliance.org.

The project is part of the alliance’s Eat Smart Eat Local initiative to build a vital local foods economy in western Maine.