This Thursday, Oct. 24, the Hospitality House will celebrate National Food Day with an open house, tour of the garden and facility, and a locally grown meal. The Hospitality House is focusing on promoting safer, healthier diets and supporting sustainable and organic farms within National Food Day’s aims.According to event organizers, serving local food reduces the amount of preservatives in the meal and encourages people to eat more nutritious foods grown in or around where they live. The food served on Food Day will all be locally grown and donated or purchased through partnerships with the Watauga County Farmers’ Market. Donations were made by Billy Kennedy, Earth Fare and Stick Boy Bread Company.The vouchers received through the partnership with the Watauga County Farmers’Market allowed Allison Jennings, Hospitality House food service coordinator, to purchase some additions to the meal for Food Day. “I enjoyed being able to add a nice touch to the meal,” Jennings said.Thursday’s meal will be classic meatloaf made with locally raised beef, Tumbling Shoals roasted peppers, rosemary-roasted Watauga County potatoes, locally grown spicy butternut squash with Blue Ridge Apiaries cinnamon honey, Hospitality House garden salad with Sunshine Cove Farm Market micro-green mix, coffee seedling apple crisp with Faith Mountain Farm granola and Stick Boy Bread Company soft yeast rolls.Food will be prepared and served by Hospitality House staff, Appalachian State University slow food students, Chris May, from the Hospitality House board of directors, and Boone Unitarianism Universalist Fellowship. The public is welcomed and invited to attend the Food event.