Fourth Annual Okra Occasion

Fourth Annual Okra Occasion New Port Richey Less than a festival but more than an ordinary day!

NEW PORT RICHEY (July 3, 2018) - All are welcome to join the City of New Port Richey’s Environmental Committee for the fourth annual "Okra Occasion...Less than a festival but more than an ordinary day!” to be held at the New Port Richey Public Library (5939 Main Street) in downtown New Port Richey on Monday, August 6, 6PM. Friendship Farms & Fare, FarmNet, and the gardeners from the Grand Gardens are joining with other growers and citizens to share the magic of okra – one of Florida's forgotten vegetable treasures. There will be samples of okra dishes; an excerpt from the documentary, Seed: the Untold Story; an okra recipe mini-booklet; and some fresh okra for sale by local growers. A brief presentation on New Port Richey's agriculture ordinance will be included on the program.

This year will again feature prizes for the best okra dishes – including cash prizes. Everyone is invited to bring a dish for folks to sample and evaluate. There will be three prizes (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) awarded on the basis of evaluation of the dishes by those in attendance. If you desire to have a dish included in the tasting and judging, you must contact the organizers for instructions, bring the dish and 50 copies of the recipe.

Fresh, locally-grown okra will be available for donations. We have commitment from Friendship Farms & Fare, Grand Gardens, East Madison Gardens, Habitat for Humanity Gardens, and other farms and gardens in the city. Growers are welcome to bring fresh okra to the event to share with attendees. If you desire to have your fresh locally-grown okra available for donations, you must contact the organizers for instructions, bring your okra to the event and 50 business cards or flyers for your farm or garden.

Assisting at the fourth annual okra occasion are members of the City’s Environmental Committee. It has been through the efforts of this committee that New Port Richey has a progressive agricultural ordinance allowing for residential farms and gardens and micro-urban farms such as those in the East Madison Neighborhood and the city's Agricultural District in the Western portion of Virginia Avenue. The Environmental committee has discovered many residents in the city would like to grow their own organic vegetables. For more information about this upcoming special “occasion” on August 6, feel free to call Dell deChant at (727) 849-1626, or by email at the "Contact" section of the Friendship Farms & Fare website, https://tarrylane.wixsite.com/friendship . ###

Friendship Farms & Fare affirms and advances agrarian ideals to reestablish a sustainable culture https://tarrylane.wixsite.com/friendship