This year's holiday will see people staying closer to home. Some might be prepping holiday dinners for the first time.
To take some of the pressure off, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture has collected tips for creating your local meal, no matter your situation.
• Looking to support local farms and producers? The Vermont Fresh Network's Local Holiday Meal Guide helps you find where to shop for local turkey and other ingredients for your holiday meal.
• You can also plan a trip to a holiday farmers' market and use the DiginVT map (diginvt.com/places) to search by category and location for other ingredients to complete your meal.
• What about the finishing touch? From sweet to savory condiments, no holiday table need be without Vermont specialty products for dessert.
• Maybe you're cooking for the first time? No sweat - everyone could use some inspiration! DiginVT offers a roundup of late autumn recipes from Vermont recipe writers. You might also try one of the holiday recipes shared by Vermont Fresh Network member caterers.
• You can find a recipe for maple-cranberry sweet potatoes and other great ideas to sweeten your dish with online recipes from the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association (vermontmaple.org/recipes) and follow along on Facebook as the trade organization shares other recipes throughout the season.
• Still nervous? Lean on Vermont's local chefs! Many restaurants, co-ops, or other retail stores not only share dozens of locally inspired recipes over the holiday season but also offer cooking classes and pre-ordering of perfectly prepared sides or even the main dish.
No matter how your holiday meal comes together this year, be sure to share your Rooted in Vermont experience on Instagram.