Savor Idaho Food, Wine & Scenery on the Locavore Express

Q: How do Idahoans celebrate the state’s annual bounty of locally grown products?

A: They pile into a railroad car, nosh on appetizers, sip on local wines, and roll through the scenic countryside.

For the second year, Horseshoe Bend’s Thunder Mountain Line will turn into the Locavore Express on August 29 and September 26. Participants will sip Idaho wine and enjoy appetizers with Idaho-grown ingredients as they enjoy a scenic train ride along the Payette River. The ride’s final destination is Banks, where passengers will get off the train and enjoy a gourmet feast comprised entirely of Idaho food products. Tickets are $42.50 per person and can be purchased online at http://www.thundermountainline.com/august10.htm. Or, pick up the phone and call 208-432-7245.

The Locavore Express events celebrate September as Idaho Preferred Month®, which Gov. Otter has declared as 30 days dedicated to honoring Idaho’s bountiful food products and the local purveyors who grow and produce them.

“Locavore is a term used to describe someone who eats and drinks foods and beverages that have been grown, raised or produced within 100 miles of their home,” says Leah Clark, a trade specialist for the Idaho Dept. of Agriculture and manager of Idaho Preferred®. “We wanted to give people a chance to become Idaho locavores in a unique Idaho setting.”