'Green Drinks McHenry County' to Meet at Duke's Alehouse

The first Wednesday of each month in McHenry County has been dubbed "Green Wednesday" by the Green Drinks McHenry County group.

This Wednesday, Oct. 3, the Green Drinks clan will meet from 5 to 7 p.m. upstairs at Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen, 110 N. Main St., Crystal Lake. Additional parking is available at the Metra train station.

The public is invited to come talk about greening the future.

This month, Dave Brandt and Dan Volkers will discuss the progress and initial findings of the McHenry County Local Food Assessment, according to a press release by the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

The purpose of the McHenry County Food and Farmland Assessment project is to support the viability of the local food system and farmland protection in McHenry County to generate benefits to the local community, such as a more robust agricultural economy, environmentally sustainable land use, and greater access to fresh food, the release stated.

A task force of local partners was formed by the Agricultural Conservation Easement and Farmland Protection Commission. Partners include McHenry County Farm Bureau, McHenry County Conservation District, Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, School District 200, Illinois Extension of McHenry County, McHenry County staff and board members, and local farmers.

The purpose of the task force is to conduct an assessment of the current environment for local food production and demand in McHenry County and evaluate the real and perceived barriers to success.

This research will result in a set of recommended actions or policy initiatives to promote a successful local food system. The vision of the task force is that agriculture viability translates into agriculture preservation.

Individuals wanting to be added to the Green Drinks e-mail list should send a note to GreenDrinksMC@gmail.com, or friend them on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/GreenDrinksMcHenryCounty