Updated FarmHands map available soon

The Daily Inter Lake

The fifth edition of the FarmHands map, which details more than 50 local working farms, will be unveiled Monday.

A special fundraising event is planned from 5 to 9 p.m. at Wasabi Sushi Bar and Ginger Grill in Whitefish. All proceeds from the evening will be donated to the FarmHands project.

Participants are encouraged to make reservations by calling 863-9283. Wasabi uses local products and ingredients on its menu and supports the community by hosting nonprofit group fundraising events throughout the year.

FarmHands is a small group of farmers and consumers committed to increasing public appreciation of farming in the Flathead Valley. The effort started in 2002 when the first free locater map of local farms was published.

The group promotes strengthening the natural bond between people who produce the food and the people who eat it, by creating and distributing the FarmHands map and operating the Web site www.whoisyourfarmer.org.

In addition to descriptions of local farms, the map and Web site feature a harvest calendar and information about farmers markets, restaurants and stores that serve locally harvested foods.

"Locals and visitors alike are beginning to realize the breadth of the valley's agricultural heritage," said organizer and local farmer Pam Gerwe. "We hope this realization will foster a stronger farmer-community relationship, which will lead to more demand for local products, better prices for these products and a stronger farm economy."

FarmHands maps are available at area Chamber of Commerce offices, farmers markets and coffee shops.