Pass the winter slowly (and tastefully) with SFI

The Real Dirt on Farmer John
Sunday, Dec 14, 2:30 pm,
The Toby, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Rd.

a film showing co-hosted by the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Slow Food Indy

No tickets are required for this free program, but a suggested donation of $5 will be accepted at the door.

John Peterson is an artistic soul with a lasting connection to his northern Illinois land. This documentary captures the inherent drama of one man's agricultural life, peppered with his entertaining eccentricities (like tractor riding in drag), spiritual quests, and eventual rise from the ashes. Director Taggart Siegel combines 8-millimeter home movies with video to craft a visual tapestry of Peterson's personal evolution—his Rockwellian youth on the farm, the flamboyant 60s, the failure of family farms in the age of agribusiness, and the rise of Community Supported Agriculture and Peterson's business today, Angelic Organics. (82 mins, NR, Film shown in 35 mm.)


Slow Food Indy’s Annual Meeting
Torino Tales from Terra Madre:
How a world food meeting will impact Indiana’s food culture
Sunday, Jan. 25, 2pm
Normandy Barn, Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St.

Slow Food Indy's delegates to Terra Madre in Torino, Italy, will speak about their trip and how their experiences will impact our food culture in central Indiana. As Slow Food Indy continues to grow, plans for 2009 will be presented to the membership and Slow Food USA members can vote on bylaws and chapter leadership for the coming year.

Bring your favorite winter comfort food to share during a potluck meal following the event.

Turkey Hangover: A Thanksgiving Leftovers Potluck

Sunday, Nov. 30, 2pm

King of Glory Lutheran Church,
2201 East 106th St., Carmel

What to bring: leftover Thanksgiving food and drink* and tableware (cup, plate, utensils, napkin) * No wine, beer, or alcohol is permitted.

Bring those Thanksgiving leftovers--straight from the Tupperware or creatively whipped into a new dish--to Slow Food Indy's annual Turkey Hangover: A Thanksgiving Leftovers Potluck. What could be better than cleaning out your fridge and getting to taste a bit of the feast from some fellow Hoosier foodies? It's a casual, social potluck so come comfortable, hungry, and ready to catch up with friends old and new.

Farmers Market Advertising Grants

Dear Farmers’ Market Masters,

Would you like your farmers’ market to get reimbursed for money spent on advertising, displays or promotional materials this year?

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) can assist you with funds still available through the Farmers’ Market Cost-Share Reimbursement Program. This program will reimburse 50 percent of the promotion cost with a cap of $500.

Applications and eligibility requirements can be found on the ISDA Web site. Requests must be emailed to Amy Eizinger, Grants Coordinator at AEizinger@isda.in.gov. Grant requests will be funded through December 15, 2008.

The Avon-Washington Township Farmers’ Market in Hendricks County and the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market in Monroe County took advantage of the Farmers’ Market Cost-Share Reimbursement Program with great success. The Avon-Washington Township Farmers’ Market purchased a banner and advertising in the local paper, the Hendricks County Flyer.

“The Reimbursement Program was really helpful and made advertising a lot easier – it was fun!” said Jessica Compton, recreation coordinator with the Avon-Washington Township Parks Department. “We used our local NPR radio station WFIU to promote our Tuesday Market by underwriting two popular local radio programs, Focus on Flowers and Living on Earth,” said Julie Ramey, community relations manager of the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department.

To learn more about their promotional campaigns and see examples of their advertising, visit ISDA’s Web site. ISDA would like to thank the Avon-Washington Farmers’ Market and the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market for sharing their promotion success and ideas.

SFI partners with IMA for film showing: The Real Dirt on Farmer John

Sunday, December 14, 2:30 pm

The Toby, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Rd.

John Peterson is an artistic soul with a lasting connection to his northern Illinois land. This documentary captures the inherent drama of one man's agricultural life, peppered with his entertaining eccentricities (tractor riding in drag), spiritual quests, and eventual rise from the ashes.

Director Taggart Siegel combines 8-millimeter home movies with video to craft a visual tapestry of Peterson's personal evolution—his Rockwellian youth on the farm, the flamboyant 60s, the failure of family farms in the age of agribusiness, and the rise of Community Supported Agriculture and Peterson's business today, Angelic Organics.

Purchase tickets at the door or at http://www.imamuseum.org/

$4 IMA Members and Slow Food Indy members; $8 Public

Message from Founder Carlo Patrini

At the closing ceremony of Terra Madre the Vice President of Italy spoke via satellite. He was great ed with heckling from the Italian people that were in the stadium. In fact, they even started doing the wave while he was speaking. Carlo Patrini was the next speaker on the platform. He started by scolding the hecklers. He stated that Slow Food is now a leader in the world of Good, Clean and Fair food. As leaders it is critical to listen. Listen to those you agree with and to listen to those that you do not. But, it is most important to listen to those that you do not agree with. The Vice President of Italy is an outspoken proponent of using genetically modified products and fertilizers. And, even worse to the Italians, he likes President Bush. What they missed during his speech was that world leaders are taking note of Slow Food beliefs and have asked Slow Food to be present at the next G8 meeting.

-Chef Thom England

The follow is a message that Carlo sent out yesterday to the delegates:

Words can’t express my thanks and feelings of hope. Your confident assurance impressed all of us—not just Terra Madre organizers, but also the general public who followed your activities during those magnificent 4 days in Turin. You are the future, key figures in the third industrial revolution: the local economies you represent are already looking ahead, you know how to produce well and are already doing so, without abusing nature. A lot of people can learn from you and your message is becoming increasingly influential at all levels. A clear sign of this political strength we have acquired is the invitation we received to send a Terra Madre delegation to the next G8, to be held in Sardinia next year. It is an incredible occurrence. This is why, after the enormous boost we got from our time at the Oval and Palaolimpico in Turin, I think it is important to maintain the impetus, building on the energy you have shown. Now that you have returned home, it is time to achieve our common projects, continue your magnificent everyday work and reinforce the network we are creating together. I would like to repeat the invitation I made during the closing ceremony on October 26: organize Terra Madre events in your own countries, at national, regional and local level, in your villages or towns. Recapture the spirit of mutual exchange and encounter which you experienced in Turin, and inspire people who couldn't be present at our large event.Continue to believe in this project, your involvement represents a new force for good. It will improve the world as it spreads: the whole world is seeking the alternative which you embody.By organizing Terra Madre events around the world in the two years until our next meeting, politicians, associations, universities, cooks and opinion leaders will hear your voice, notice who you are and see that you are making a unique and valuable contribution. We will keep in touch, stick together and keep active: we will have a lot to celebrate, I am sure.

Carlo Petrini