CARBONDALE, Colorado – The Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) and the Roaring Fork Food Policy Council (RFFPC) hosted a Local Foods Challenge from Sept. 6 to 20, and awarded more than $1,000 in prizes.

This challenge was the third in CORE’s four-part Waste Free series for 2012. The final installment will run from Nov. 11-20 in conjunction with Aspen T.R.E.E.’s free community Early Bird Thanksgiving Meal in Aspen, with the theme “Waste Not, Want Not.” That segment focuses on reducing the use of disposable plastics.

During the two-week Local Foods competition, each participant received a checklist of options for buying, growing, cooking and learning about sustainable agriculture in the region.

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Many participants used the opportunity to take greater environmental actions, such as home energy assessments, using reusable grocery bags, biking to the store, and installing CORE’s water conservation kits.

More than 300 people attended a kick-off party at Crystal River Meats on the First Friday of September, and more than 100 attended a culminating potluck at the Third Street Center in Carbondale on Sept. 20. The feast featured a wide variety of loaves baked in the community bread oven as well as a colorful spread of fresh, local foods.

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Local Foods Challenge winners are:

Grand Prize, a full winter farm share at Peach Valley CSA: Cynthia Meyers and Mylo, age 8, of Aspen

Second place, dinner for two at Pyramid Bistro: Dan Whitney of Carbondale

Third place, $100 of beef from Milagro Ranch: Michael Gorman of Carbondale

Fourth place, a $60 grocery assortment from Carbondale Community Food Co-op: Kendall Reiley of Basalt

Honorable mention, workshop at Rock Bottom Ranch: Jody Powell of Basalt

Honorable mention, fresh produce from Emmadale Farm in Emma: Julie Albrecht of Carbondale

Honorable mention, workshop at Roaring Gardens in Carbondale: Mary Russell of Glenwood Springs

Three random prizes to potluck attendees included: a farm basket from Spradley Farms in Missouri Heights, a $20 gift card to Osage Gardens in Silt, and a “Local Beef” athletic T-shirt donated by Olivia Pevec.