TASSIE produce is back on the menu for thousands of people who have signed up to this year's Tassievore Challenge.
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The campaign, that has been running for four years, encourages everyone to enjoy eating only Tasmanian produce during the month of March.
Participants can also participate in a different challenge each week and upload their pictures to social media and share their tips with others.
University of Tasmania lecturer Kym Blechynden was one of a group of individuals who first came up with the Tassievore idea four years ago, but it had a slightly different form than it does today.
"We thought we'd try eating only Tasmanian produce for six months," she said.
The group did have a 5 per cent buffer, which meant they were allowed to drink things like coffee and consume herbs and spices that were not Tasmanian but the majority of their diet was only produce that came from the state.
Today, the Tassievore Challenge makes a concerted effort in March and encourages people to participate and share tips with others.
"It creates a sense of community, it's all about making small changes that people can sustain long term," she said.
The first week's challenge is about growing food and Ms Blechynden said the challenge was open to interpretation from lots of different people.
She said the challenges were deliberately broad to ensure people could find their own way to participate.
"Growing could mean something in your own backyard, or on your windowsill, or in your neighbour's yard or at your community garden," she said.
The Tassievore Eat Local Challenge is supported by Sustainable Living Tasmania and the University of Tasmania.
Sustainable Living Tasmania food program manager Lissa Villeneuve said choosing local produce and shopping at local businesses was great for the state's economy.
"But more than that, it also tastes better, is often more nutritious and can have a much smaller environmental footprint," she said.
Resources such as a local food directory and Tassievore recipes have been developed to assist people taking the challenge and are available on the website www.slt.org.au/tassievore or find the group on Facebook.
