Many days in March are devoted to food. Peanut Butter Lover's Day March 1, Poultry Day March 19 ... St. Patrick's Day reigns supreme as spring's favorite food day. People celebrate with green beer and traditional Irish foods, and we grow or produce many of the necessary ingredients right here in Virginia: beef brisket for corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, lamb for stew, meat for shepherd's pie and apple cider for braising your beef.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) encourages everyone to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Virginia style.

Both lunch and dinner could start with a soup featuring potatoes, smoked fish, parsnip and apples, or peas and ham, Virginia grown products all. The main course could include any or several of the following: Irish stew, Hunter's Pie, bacon and boiled cabbage, potato champ (also known as mashed potatoes), spiced beef or turnips. For dessert, try  Sweet Yellow Man or Irish apple pie.

A traditional recipe for Irish Coddle features many

Virginia products.

 For food festivals, including those for St. Patrick's Day, click here.