Taking Root Aug 8th, 6:30-11pm

On August 8th, Local Sprouts Cooperative will host "Taking Root: Celebrating 2 years of Local Sprouts and the launching of our Community Supported Cafe" at SPACE Gallery, 538 Congress St. in Portland from 6:30-11pm. The night will start at 6:30pm with a local and organic dinner featuring salad, an entree and dessert prepared by Local Sprouts Cooperative. At 8pm, we will start a show with local performers including: Over a Cardboard Sea, the Orchards, Lady Zen, the Excuse Me Circus, Hanifa Washington, and more. Through out the night Local Sprouts will be holding a raffle and will be sharing information about our new Community Supported Cafe. Local Sprouts Cooperative started in 2007 with a mission to provide people in Maine with creative, local and organic food and holistic learning through cooking food for our community. Local Sprouts Cooperative offers local and organic catering and has catered to over 50 non-profits, businesses and individuals in the Portland area since we started in 2007. Local Sprouts started the Community Supported Kitchen which provides a weekly menu of prepared foods and is based on the Community Supported Agriculture model. Local Sprouts' Community Food and Learning Programs partner with non-profits and schools to provide local foods cooking classes, community dinners and meals and community building through cooking local food. The Community Supported Cafe is Local Sprouts newest endeavor and is projected to open in 2010. Local Sprouts is currently in negotiations for a downtown location for this cafe. "The Community Supported Cafe will be a place for all people in Portland to come together to eat local and organic food, see and participate in diverse performances, and connect and learn together in a comfortable family-friendly environment," saysHanifa Washington, a Local Sprouts Cooperative owner. "We are calling it a community supported cafe as we want our community to be involved from the start and in an ongoing basis at the cafe- financially investing in the cafe, helping with renovations, signing up for our meal plans, holding events at the cafe and more," says JonahFertig, a Local Sprouts Cooperative owner. "The Local Sprouts Cafe will be cooperatively run where workers and community members will have input and a voice." At "Taking Root" community members will be invited to participate in Local Sprouts' Community Financing Program, an innovative way for community members to directly loan money to the cooperative. Fertig says, "Through our Community Financing Program we are avoiding big banks, and reaching out directly to people that know us, trust us and support the work we are doing in the community and want to grow sustainable agriculture and food businesses in Maine." $10 for dinner, $15 for dinner & show, $8 for show All-ages, family-friendly For more information contact: Jonah Fertig, Local Sprouts Cooperative Owner, 615-9970, food@localsproutscooperative.com or go to: www.localsproutscooperative.com Purchase Tickets in advance at www.space538.org