Pictured (l to r): Beaches Local Food Network Board members Colleen Herms, Teri Methvin, Jennifer Keskinen, Aimee Tous-Parker, Kelly Johnson, Jonathan Felts, and Gretchen Ferrell and Beaches Watch President Sandy Golding.

Pictured (l to r): Beaches Local Food Network Board members Colleen Herms, Teri Methvin, Jennifer Keskinen, Aimee Tous-Parker, Kelly Johnson, Jonathan Felts, and Gretchen Ferrell and Beaches Watch President Sandy Golding.

Gretchen Ferrell and the Beaches Local Food Network have been chosen by the Board of Directors of Beaches Watch, Inc. as the recipient of the 2010 Friend of the Beaches Award. The award will be presented at the Beaches Watch monthly meeting on February 2 at 7pm in the Council Chambers of Neptune Beach City Hall, 116 1st St., Neptune Beach. The public is invited to attend.

The Beaches Local Food Network (BFLN) was founded by Gretchen Ferrell and consists of the Beaches Green Market and the Beaches Organic Community Garden. Gretchen, a life-long Beaches resident, began the Beaches Green Market about four years ago. The Green Market moved to Jarboe Park three years ago and the Community Garden opened there that same year. The City of Neptune Beach has partnered with the Network in this very worthwhile undertaking.

The network’s mission is to address the long-term goal of local food security in our community through creating educational programs for children and adults, connecting farmers to consumers, and building community and school gardens. In addition to the Beaches Green Market and the Beaches Community Garden, The Beaches Local Food Network also provides hands-on workshops and educational programs through both of these venues. BLFN aims to create healthy community spaces, where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together in order to share knowledge, seeds, resources, and passions that ultimately lead to nutritious food on the table.

The network’s mission is to address the long-term goal of local food security in our community through creating educational programs for children and adults, connecting farmers to consumers, and building community and school gardens. In addition to the Beaches Green Market and the Beaches Community Garden, The Beaches Local Food Network also provides hands-on workshops and educational programs through both of these venues. BLFN aims to create healthy community spaces, where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together in order to share knowledge, seeds, resources, and passions that ultimately lead to nutritious food on the table.

“Beaches Watch is proud to recognize Gretchen Ferrell and the Beaches Local Food Network as the 2010 recipient of the Friend of the Beaches Award for its on-going contribution to enhance the health of Beaches’ residents, as well as the quality of life of our beach communities”, said Beaches Watch President Sandy Golding.

Beaches Watch presents the Friend of the Beaches award to individuals, businesses or organizations that make exemplary contributions to the quality of life at the beaches. Previous recipients have been Pete Modica, Mary Emerson-Smith, Bennie Furlong, Marcy Silkebaken and the River Branch Foundation.