With heightened attention turned toward the values of eating and drinking locally in recent decades, a new local province-wide event will give British Columbian food and drink a major promotional boost.

The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture announced on March 25 that it will work together with the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association on a month-long campaign called Eat Drink Local to give British Columbian food and beverages the spotlight.

The campaign is designed to increase consumer awareness, demand, and sales of B.C. food.

The month for the campaign has not been revealed yet but will be timed to avoid other food-related events.

All eateries, ranging from cafés and pubs to catering companies and fine-dining establishments, are eligible to participate in the campaign. Application forms will be available online for restaurants, farmers, producers, processors, wholesalers, or food and beverage suppliers at the BCRFA website. The BCRFA website will feature chef profiles, culinary trends, timetables and tips about food harvesting, a searchable directory of local food and drink, and more.

The B.C. government is contributing almost $225,000 to the program to continue helping local agrifood and seafood economies develop, which currently employ 63,000 people in the province and set a record $13 billion in revenue in 2015.