Going Local Week supports themester, local food

Bloomington’s local color can be found in a chef’s featured special, a grocery store’s selection of fresh dairy products or a nonprofit community bookstore.

The Local Growers Guild, which promotes and supports local food systems in the community, has collaborated with several organizations, including Local First Indiana, to sponsor this year’s Going Local Week from Sept. 3 to Sept. 11.

The campaign has scheduled events for people to sample and explore the town.

This semester, the College of Arts and Sciences Themester is focused on sustainability. Emphasizing the importance of investing in sustainable practices, this year’s topic puts particular importance on the local scale.

Bill Brown, director of the IU Office of Sustainability, said the themester programs will provide many opportunities for students to interact with Bloomington residents regarding local, sustainable solutions.

“Sustainability crosses the border between campus and community,” Brown said. “The issues faced by the school and community are all connected.”

In light of Bloomington’s Going Local Week, Brown said the Sustain IU Day from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Dunn Meadow is a chance for students to become engaged in community commerce.

“It’s a great time for students to explore their neighborhoods and where they live, including the Farmers’ Market and Kirkwood,” Brown said.

Jessie Skaggs, assistant director of the guild, said Going Local Week has grown since its original event, which focused only on dining at local restaurants.

Skaggs said the turnout at previous events has been good, with close to 200 attendees at the opening reception Sept. 3.

From 7 to 9 p.m. today, Rachael’s Café will be having a free screening of “King Corn,” a documentary centered on genetically modified foods, modern farming and the current fast-food culture.

The guild is also promoting the Going Local Week Challenge card, which can be found at Bloomingfoods. When participants do five activities involved with the local community, including shopping at any guild retailer or going to a local restaurant, they fill out the card for a chance to win one of four prizes.

Completed cards can be dropped off at Bloomingfoods, the farmers’ market or mailed to the guild or Local First Indiana.

When thinking about the value of IU students becoming involved in Bloomington, Skaggs said supporting local businesses is a great way to invest in the community.

To serve as the grand finale of Going Local Week, a concert fundraiser for Local First Indiana will take place Saturday at the Bishop Bar. General admission is $5 for those 18 and older, and performances, featuring a variety of local artists, will start at 6 p.m.  

Andy Goheen, who works at the Bishop Bar, said that the venue features a local band nearly every night.

“It’s obviously important to support local bands because they are also part of the local economy,” Goheen said.

John Bailey, the managing partner of the locally owned restaurant Malibu Grill, has worked at the location since he was a student at IU in 1986 when it was called the J Arthur Café and Bar.

The restaurant became the Malibu Grill in 1994, and Bailey said the establishment has seen increasing support over the years.

“I feel like we’re very strongly rooted in the community,” Bailey said. “We see lots and lots of regulars.”

One of the local products used at the restaurant is Localfolks ketchup and mustard, which uses mostly Indiana grown organic tomatoes. While using local products might not be as cost effective, Bailey said it’s worth it.

Community roots run deep at the Malibu Grill. The staff is made up of several veteran employees: a chef who has worked there for 80 percent of the restaurant’s existence, a bar manager who has been there over a dozen years and Bailey himself who is in his 16th year at the Bloomington location.

“I love Bloomington and have always loved Bloomington,” Bailey said. “It’s a nicely situated town with good people who are passionate and care about their community.”