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"Take the Buy Local Challenge with Friends" Official Contest Rules

Your group of friends may contain any number of participants. Participants must live in Maryland. One prize basket will be awarded to the winning group, regardless of number of participants in the group. The winning group will be responsible for distributing the prize contents among group members.

Decide on a name for your group. (It can be as simple as "Sue and Friends," or it can be cute and clever.)

Each participant in the group must first go to www.buy-local-challenge.com and take the official pledge individually, any time before July 22, 2012.

At least once during Buy Local Week, the group must meet and share a meal featuring food (you can include wine if you wish!) from local farms, farm stands, wineries and/or farmers' markets. Your group may submit photos from more than one meal if you wish.

Participants should upload photo(s) to the Buy Local Challenge Facebook group page. Participants may submit entries until August 2, 2012. No late entries accepted.

Participants should include a paragraph on the Facebook page accompanying the photo(s) describing how they and their friends participated in the 2012 Buy Local Challenge.

Alternately, participants may email photos and description to buylocalchallenge@smadc.com with the understanding that the submissions will be uploaded to Facebook on their behalf and available for public viewing.

Participants may be contacted by the judges during the judging phase to request more information about their submissions. The top three choices will be asked to supply a complete list of local farm foods used and the names of the Maryland farms that supplied them, and high resolution (300 dpi) versions of the photographs suitable for printing. All participants agree that submitted photos along with participant names may be included in future advertising by SMADC.

Judges will make initial contact via Facebook private message function. Participants that cannot be reached may be eliminated. Participants do NOT need to post last names, phone numbers or other contact information in the public posting unless they wish to.

Judges will choose a winning workplace based on:

• Creative presentation (fun or unusual ways of participating as a group)
• Best use of local farm food (unique recipes, most appealing presentation of food)
• Amount of farm food included (one item in a meal versus all items in a meal)
• Best interpretation of the spirit of the Buy Local Challenge

Decision of the judges is final. The winning group will be announced on or before August 10, 2012.

The winning group will receive a prize basket valued at $200 (sponsored by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and Maryland Department of Agriculture). In addition, a donation of fresh local farm food, valued at $200, will be made in your name to local families in need via the Maryland Food Bank and partners statewide.

This contest is sponsored by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC). Participants assume full responsibility for submitting descriptions and photos. SMADC is not responsible for failed submissions for any reason. SMADC reserves the right to verify submitted information and to disqualify any applicant not adhering to these rules. This contest is in no way endorsed by, sponsored by or administered by Facebook, and participants acknowledge that they are submitting photos/info to SMADC and not to Facebook.

Take a look at last year's entries.

Back to the contest page.