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In this Issue of Hey Cherokee County…
✅ Local Food Bingo Is Coming to Cherokee County — and You Might Win a Cast Iron Set
✅ WNC AgOptions Grant Information Session Coming to Cherokee County
Cherokee County Events
July 17th
August 1st
4th Annual Tomato Fest: 9a-1p
August 15th
August 26th
September 16th-19th
Cherokee County Fair: 6p-10p Wed-Fri, noon-10p Sat
September 26th
Oktoberfest in Andrews: 11a-5p
October 31st
November 21st
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Local Food Bingo Is Coming to Cherokee County — and You Might Win a Cast Iron Set
Contributed photo
Sometimes the best ideas come from somewhere you'd never expect.
Marlana Baker, Local Food Coordinator with the NC Cooperative Extension in Cherokee County, saw a wellness bingo challenge from a university — the kind where you check off exercise classes and fitness activities — and thought: what if we did that, but for local food?
That's how Local Food Bingo was born. And starting July 25th, Cherokee County gets to play.
The idea is simple. Participants pick up a bingo card, complete activities as they go, and check them off. Get five in a row — horizontal, vertical, or diagonal — and you've got a bingo. Each bingo earns an entry into a prize drawing.
The prizes are worth showing up for: a Lodge five-piece cast iron set, a Ninja blender, an Imarku chef knife, handmade pieces from local artists, and more.
The bingo card is broken into five categories: Shop, Eat, Learn, Engage, and Act. Activities range from buying local eggs or honey, to cooking a fully local side dish, to leaving a review for a local producer, to volunteering at a farmers market. The free space in the middle? Simply thank a local farmer or vendor for what they do.
Nobody's watching over your shoulder. The whole thing runs on the honor system.
"We wanted to create a structured, engaging way for residents to actively invest in their own health while directly supporting our agricultural neighbors," Baker said. "Every square completed on this card represents a conscious choice to put fresh, nutrient-dense food on your family's table and vital dollars back into our local economy. It’s about building a healthier, more self-reliant Cherokee County."
The community-wide challenge is designed to get people eating local, shopping local, and actually talking to the farmers who grow their food. The challenge is partially sponsored by the NC 10% Campaign, which provided funding for the prizes.
When participants sign up, they'll receive their bingo card along with a resource sheet that doubles as a guide to local farmers markets, roadside stands, and growers, and corresponds to each activity on the card.
Bingo cards will be available starting July 25th. You can pick one up at the Extension office, at the Donation Station inside the Murphy Farmers Market, or request one by email to receive it electronically.
To share your experience along the way, tag your posts with #EATLOCALCHEROKEECOUNTY.
Click here to contact the Extension office by email or phone.
WNC AgOptions Grant Information Session Coming to Cherokee County
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Farmers looking to expand, diversify, or improve the efficiency of their operations may want to mark their calendars for an upcoming WNC AgOptions Grant Information Session in Murphy.
The WNC AgOptions program provides grant funding to help family farms invest in projects that strengthen long-term sustainability. Since 2004, the program has supported small farms across Western North Carolina through direct financial assistance.
A free information session will be held in Cherokee County to walk potential applicants through the 2027 grant program, explain eligibility requirements, and review the application process. Anyone interested in applying is encouraged to attend.
Cherokee County Information Session:
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026
Time: 4–6 p.m.
Location: Konehete Park
Address: 699 Connahetta St., Murphy
Registration: Not required
Those who cannot attend the Murphy session may participate in any of the other information sessions being held throughout Western North Carolina and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Additional information, application dates, and grant resources are available on the WNC AgOptions website.
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