Fresh, healthy and local are the three requirements for The West Virginia Farmers Market “Fresh Healthy Recipe Challenge.” The contest is seeking recipe submissions for food made from local farmers market ingredients in West Virginia. 

In collaboration with the American Heart Association, the West Virginia Farmers Market Association (WVFMA) invites food enthusiasts from across the state to submit recipes containing local WV farmers market ingredients by October 1st, 2015. 

Emma Gardner, AmeriCorps VISTA with the WVFMA, said “This is a great way to show off your skills in the kitchen and your pride in your West Virginia farmers market!”

Earnestine Walker, Vice President of Multicultural Initiatives at the American Heart Association said the Recipe challenge is something she looks forward to.

“This is one of my favorite programs in West Virginia,” Walker saod. “We have the opportunity to impact farmer’s markets, and families.”

She went on to say the organization was honored to include a larger part of West Virginia now.

“This is an amazing effort. We are honored to have an opportunity to expand this program throughout the state of West Virginia,” Walker said.

Walker said she believes that partnering with the WVFMA will be an effective way to reach more participants in the state.

“The purpose of this initiative is to promote and work more closely with the Farmer’s Market Association, because of their reach in state,” said Walker. “This allows us to reach more people with our nutrition education.”

The recipes will be judged based on a variety of criteria including clarity of recipe, choice of WV farmers market ingredients, nutrition, creativity and recipe heritage. At the conclusion of the contest, the WVFMA and American Heart Association will compile a recipe book from the submissions.

“We want to change the conversation about what it is like to eat like a West Virginian, while highlighting fresh local products grown by the farmers in our very own West Virginian communities,” Gardner said.

The intention of the recipe book is to draw a correlation between the recipes and their connection to Appalachian heritage.

Judges of the challenge want the chance to enjoy in-season recipes while produce is still fresh, so all final recipes are due on October 1, 2015 to include the entire farmers market season. Anyone may submit one or multiple recipes.

If you are interested in entering the WV Farmers Market Fresh Recipe Challenge, please visit wvfarmers.org/recipe-challenge or ask the organizers at your local farmers market.

Britanie Morgan can be contacted at [email protected].