Need a good excuse to dine out this week? Well, the American Farmland Trust invites you to have a meal out on the town in support of farms in this country now through October 16th:

“We hope that many consumers will be a friend to farms and join us at the table during the national Dine Out for Farms™ week October 10-16,” says Jon Scholl, President of American Farmland Trust (AFT). “Restaurants in 17 states signed up to participate in this inaugural event because the chefs recognize the need to protect America’s farmland and support family farmers. Farmland is a key ingredient that farmers need to be able to grow provisions for restaurateurs and our own kitchen tables.”

This national, week-long event is designed to bring together restaurants and consumers together to support a sustainable future for America’s farms. Scholl wants to make sure people make the connection with food and the land.

“It’s never been more critical than it is today for diners and consumers to reconnect with the farmers who grow their food. That’s not only so we can have farm-fresh food but also because of the critical issues facing our nation—including food security and healthier diets,” Scholl adds. “The United States has been losing nearly one million acres of farmland each year, and the farms and farmland most under threat are near cities where the majority of our dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables are grown.”

And as Oliver Monday with The Market Restaurant in Gloucester, Massachusetts, one of the participating restaurants, points out, “Without land, there will be no farms. Without farms, there will be no food.”

More information is available at www.farmland.org/dineout.