MARION — This August, the Marion Institute is encouraging people to eat food grown within 200 miles of their home with the Eat Local South Coast Challenge.

According to a Marion Institute press release, eating local food “is becoming a priority to strengthen our local economies, increase access to healthy food and reduce harmful environmental impacts.”

Participants in the Eat Local South Coast Challenge will receive weekly emails with resources that explain where to find local food and how to cook it, information about local food on the South Coast, and volunteer opportunities to participate in the local food system.

“We all have a general sense of the benefits of eating local — healthier diet, nutrient dense foods, social responsibility and local impact — but often the ease of running to the nearest grocery can overshadow these positive benefits, regardless of our best intentions,” said Marion Institute Executive Director Liz Wiley. “Our Eat Local Southcoast Challenge aims to help those of us along  the Southcoast learn more about our local food system as we form new, local purchasing and eating habits.”

For more information, visit marioninstitute.org. To register for the Eat Local South Coast Challenge, visit bit.ly/eatlocalsouthcoast.