WINSTON-SALEM — Have you ever wondered who grows the food we eat? Have you considered signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box with a local farm? Now’s your chance. Come meet our local food farmers in our county’s fourth Meet Your Farmer CSA Sign Up Day. How local is your food? Fresh, local food is available right here in Forsyth County and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Friday, March 1, you can meet some of the farmers who produce it. The event is free and open to the public.

Americans are interested in learning more about where their food comes from, a healthy trend for families and farmers. The event is being hosted by Wake Forest Innovation Quarters in the Biotech Center Atrium at 575 N. Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem. Attendees will be able to find out where U Pick strawberry and blueberry farms are located, as well as find out about other on-farm activities which the public can join.

Meet Your Farmer CSA Sign Up Day is an opportunity to meet farmers from across our area and sign up for a CSA box, find out about local farm activities where to buy local farm products and how to find local U-Pick farms. Eating fresh produce is a healthy choice that is good for families and farmers.

Supporting our local farmers is also good for our community. As Americans, we share a common desire to invest in our communities and reap the benefits that stem from that investment. And since we all eat, the money we spend on food is a powerful investment tool. The data, literature and on-the-ground evidence in the USDA Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass document shows that regional food systems are helping to drive job growth in agriculture, increase entrepreneurship opportunities in rural communities, and expand consumer choice and food access. Increased economic activity in food-related sectors of the economy helps communities build and maintain prosperity. Supporting your local farmers is a win for everyone. This event is sponsored by the NC Cooperative Extension, Forsyth Center, Forsyth Foodworks, and the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter. For more information, contact N.C. Cooperative Extension Agent Mary Jac Brennan at mjbrenn2@ncsu.edu or 336-703-2869.