The South Cariboo Agri-Culture Enterprise Centre recently held its annual Harvest Dinner.
Ag Centre chair Rita Giesbrecht says 45 members enjoyed the harvest meal and the musician/singer Connor Reagan.
The event kicked off a fundraiser raffle for a piece of art donated by local artist Quille Farnham, which will be on display at Yummers En Route restaurant.
108 Mile Supermarket owner Carl Gimse was presented with a Local Food Champion award for his outstanding contributions to supplying British Columbia grown food.
Giesbrecht says Gimse goes out of his way to find and provide local B.C.-grown food in his grocery store and liquor outlet, offering items from case-lots and bulk produce to sausage and microbreweries.
"He's got an interesting selection of B.C. wine and he has made every effort to source local meat and carries it when he is able to. He also has locally roasted coffee available, and he's got local granola."
The Ag Centre members have talked for some time about formally recognizing people who champion local food production, she explains.
"This was the first time, and we want to make it an annual thing where we will choose a business person.
"We are an economic development agency, so we recognize businesses that go out of their way to be a locavore to provide local food."
Gimse says he doesn't feel he has done anything worthy of such recognition, since he just does what he can to bring in some local product for his customers.
"I'm bringing in Okanagan apples, tomatoes from Lillooet, and I have just brought in a ton of carrots from the Pemberton Valley. So yes, we support local – wine, whatever it is.
"They caught me totally by surprise. I was not prepared for that [award]. It was very, very nice of them."