Slow Food Indy

Big Night: movie showing benefits Slow Food Indy

2012-01-25T23:19:00.001-05:00

When: Friday, Feb 10, 2012
Time: TBD
Where:SoHo Cafe: 620 S Rangeline Carmel IN ()

SoHo Café and Slow Food Indy invite you enjoy the renowned “foodie movie” Big Night.

SoHo Cafe has generously invited Slow Food Indy to be the recipient of their “community give back movie night program." That evening, 100% of each $1 per person admission will go to Slow Food Indy!

Big Night is about the goods: good food, good music, good story.

This 1996 film was written and directed by Stanley Tucci. Featured stars include StanleyTucci, Marc Anthony, Tony Shalhoub, Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini and Ian Holm along with a soundtrack of Louis Prima's greatest hits.

The story line: Primo and Secondo are two brothers who have emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America. Primo is the irascible and gifted chef, brilliant in his culinary genius, but determined not to squander his talent on making the routine dishes that customers expect. Secondo is the smooth front-man, trying to keep the restaurant financially afloat, despite few patrons other than a poor artist who pays with his paintings. The owner of the nearby Pascal's restaurant, enormously successful (despite its mediocre fare), offers a solution - he will call his friend, a big-time jazz musician, to play a special benefit at their restaurant. Primo begins to prepare his masterpiece, a feast of a lifetime, for the brothers' big night…

SFI 2012 Annual Meeting: Brief Notes

2012-01-22T18:05:00.005-05:00

About 100 folks gathered at the Wheeler Art Community in Fountain Square on Sunday, January 22, to share a potluck meal, elect three new members to the Slow Food Indy board, and to listen to a panel of local cooks, farmers, and community leaders discuss the future of local food in central Indiana. Panel members included:

Neal Brown of Pizzology & Libertine
Matt Davis of KI Ecocenter
Greg Gunthorp of Gunthorp Farms
Dr. Lisa Harris of Wishard Health Services
Laura Henderson of Growing Places Indy
Tyler Herald of Patachou
David Robb of Heartland Farm

During the discussion, a recent report by Ken Meter was referenced frequently. Find links to various lengths of that report below:
Full Report: Hoosier Farmer? Emergent Food Systems in Indiana
Executive Summary: Hoosier Farmer?
Condensed Report: Hoosier Farmer?

At the end of the panel discussion, moderator Laura Henderson asked each speaker for a suggestion of one goal that Slow Food Indy should accomplish in the coming year.

Neal Brown & Tyler Herald suggested that urban agriculture become SFI's focus. Matt Davis echoed that refrain by urging the community to "get more in the dirt." Matt added, "People should know how to cultivate themselves." Greg Gunthorp urged SFI to create avenues for smaller scale producers to sell to larger institutions such as universities, citing the benefit of good, clean, and fair food for patrons of those institutions but also the need for regular demand and regular income as key to the success of local food producers. David Robb recommended that emphasis be brought to producer-only (not reseller) farmers markets as the key interface between producers and consumers (or "co-producers" as Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini likes to call us). Dr. Lisa Harris urged the SFI board to choose one measurable goal in line with SFI's mission and core values. "So that this time next year," Lisa continued, "we can measure our success."

Slow Food Indy's Annual Meeting: Sunday, Jan. 22, 2-4pm

2012-01-08T09:29:00.002-05:00

What: Slow Food Indy Annual Meeting & Pitch-In
When: Sun, January 22, 2pm – 4pm
Where: Wheeler Arts Community (1035 Sanders Street in Historic Fountain Square)
What to bring: a dish to share and your own diningware (plates, cups, utensils, etc.)

Please join us again this year for the Slow Food Indy Annual Meeting and Pitch-In. As usual, we will eat together, elect new officers to the organization and hear a summary of the past year of Slow Food. Please bring a dish to share, as well as your own plates/cups/utensils (some local sourcing is, of course, always appreciated).

In addition, we are excited to announce this year’s headlining event for the meeting:
Panel Discussion: Local Food in Central Indiana - Where do we go from here?

Local farmers, chefs, farmers market managers and food policy advocates will discuss the emergence of local food in Central Indianaand next steps that will advance the movement even further.

We hope to see you at the meeting this year. Please contact Tyler Henderson (tylerhenders@yahoo.com) with any questions.

SFI's Annual Father's Day Cookout: rescheduled for fall

2011-05-26T08:11:00.004-04:00

Slow Food Indy's Father's Day Cookout is cancelled, but look for more details soon about another event this fall!

Grow SFI by Growing Your Garden: 25% of sales support SFI

2011-02-26T10:45:00.005-05:00

Slow Food Indy is partnering with Nature's Crossroads for a fundraiser that pays in dollars and daikons, cents and celery.

When you buy seeds from
Nature's Crossroads through a SFI link,
25% of sales go to SFI.

Nature's Crossroads is dedicated to supporting organic gardeners in Indiana and surrounding states with the organic/Earth-friendly seeds, fertilizers and supplies that make sense for where we grow. They believe that gardening is a great way to improve the environment, beautify our homes, get some exercise, and play in the dirt while providing healthy food for our families. And they're working to increase the number of organic gardeners in our region through community partner programs, school fundraisers, and educational outreach.

Their list of locally grown seeds include vegetables and greens, fruits, herbs, flowers, and even specialty chili peppers, Asian varieties, and bulk seeds. Browse their 2011 catalog and be sure to purchase your seeds and supplies from a SFI link to Nature's Crossroads!

Genetically Engineered Alfalfa: why the USDA's full deregulation was a bad decision

2011-02-06T13:42:00.015-05:00

Two weeks ago, the USDA announced a total deregulation of Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa. Contact USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack (202-720-3631 or email*) and President Barack Obama (email him through this form) to let them know this was the wrong decision--one that puts our food chain, our economy, and our environment at risk.

More about the ruling
In 2005, the USDA approved Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa seeds. When farmers, environmentalists, and more people who eat sued the USDA in 2006 to take back its approval, Monsanto stepped in on behalf of the US government. After US District Courts ruled against Monsanto and its GE alfalfa seeds, the company appealed all the way to the Supreme Court.

When the case reached the Supreme Court last summer, it became the court's first ruling on a genetically engineered crop. In a 7 to 1 majority, justices ruled not to uphold the lower court's decision. The only justice that agreed with the lower court's ban on the genetically engineered alfalfa seeds was John Paul Stevens who retired eight days after the ruling.

On Jan. 27, 2011--just the week before last--USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a full deregulation of Monsanto's GE alfalfa seeds. That means the GE seeds could be in the ground as early as this spring. CommonDreams.org reports that Land O' Lakes already has millions of pounds of Monsanto's GE alfalfa seeds in storage.

More about alfalfa
Alfalfa is among America's top four crops. Mostly used to feed farm animals like cows and poultry--but particularly dairy cattle (hmm...Land O'Lakes' stash sadly makes more sense now)--alfalfa is a basic part of the bottom of our food chain, whether we're choosing to eat organic or not.

Rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, alfalfa is good for the animals we can choose to eat or eat from, but it's also an important cover crop. Being a legume, alfalfa can fix soil nitrogen levels, suppress weeds, and reduce pests and diseases. Whether or not you eat the animals (or their products), chances are alfalfa is still a necessary part of the process that brings even veggies to the table.

Alfalfa is pollinated by a particular type of bee (who have their own set of problems in these modern days both here and abroad). Just as bees fly and the wind blows, alfalfa will travel. And when it does, it can contaminate other fields of alfalfa, whether they're farmed organically or conventionally. Even if a farmer chooses not to plant Monsanto's GE alfalfa, his or her fields could be contaminated with genetically engineered DNA. It's hard to believe that the USDA made this ruling without knowing about the aggressive ways Monsanto pursues farmers whose fields have been invaded by their genetically engineered seed.

More about GE alfalfa's effects
Beyond the environmental risks that GE alfalfa poses--poisoning of soil and ground water, the development of "super weeds," harmful effects on bees and other wildlife--producing food with GE alfalfa brings economic risk domestically and internationally.

Already the European Union refuses to buy genetically modified foods...if milk, meat, and veg are produced through use of the GE alfalfa, exports will suffer and so will the economy of the nation that allows genetically engineered alfalfa.

Here at home, even Monsanto would have to admit that organic and all-natural foods are a large and still increasing sector of our American economy. Genetically modified crops and feed are banned in organic production. When alfalfa crops are contaminated with genetically engineered DNA, they become ineligible for organic production...and since alfalfa is grown in such quantities and has such a sweeping portion of the base of our food chain, the introduction of GE seeds puts even organic foods at great risk.

The bottom line
We still don't know what happens to humans who eat genetically engineered foods or foods produced with genetically engineered products.

Allowing genetically modified alfalfa seeds to be planted starts detrimental environmental, economic, and food chain changes that we cannot anticipate or regulate.

Contact USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack (202-720-3631 or email*) and President Barack Obama (email him through this form) to let them know that the USDA's deregulation of Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa seeds was the wrong decision--one that puts our food chain, our economy, and our environment at risk.

* The link to USDA Secretary Vilsack's email contact form was broken at the time of publishing. If you find an email contact for him, please share it in the comments section.

Slow Food USA part of TEDx: Feb. 12

2011-02-06T13:20:00.001-05:00

On February 12, an amazing array of speakers - including Slow Food USA's President Josh Viertel - will be part of the TEDx events: short, carefully prepared talks to share 'ideas worth spreading'. And the good news is you can be a part of it!

Joining Josh at the one day event will be over 20 high-profile speakers including the makers of "King Corn", the first farmer to receive a MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship, and the USDA's coordinator of 'Know Your Farmer, Know your Food', all sharing ideas about how we can shift our industrial food system to one that provides good, clean, fair food for all.

This is a fantastic opportunity to stimulate these conversations in your local area. And a great excuse to get together with like-minded people in your community! Click here to find out how to host or attend a live 'Viewing Party' on Saturday February 12:

http://tedxmanhattan.org/viewing-parties/

Can't make a Viewing Party? No problem! We'll be live-streaming the TEDx talks on our website, so you can take part in the conversation from the comfort of your own home.

TEDx talks feature thought leaders at the cutting edge of their industry. This day is focused entirely on food - a testament to the importance of finding new ways to redefine the way we grow and eat food.

The thought-provoking speakers can be broadcast right into your home, cafe, town hall - or wherever you want to gather to share these ideas in your community. Click here to find out more: http://tedxmanhattan.org/viewing-parties/

Thanks for being a part of the solution,
The Slow Food USA team

More SFI annual meeting notes

2011-02-01T20:17:00.001-05:00

Some other notes on SFI's annual meeting from "Patch:"

After everyone stacked their bring-your-own-plates with home-made food, a few local organizational issues were addressed -- a little forecasting about some changes which are going to be voted on at the next meeting, like the fact that for a given committee within Slow Food Indy, all chairmembers must also be team-leaders, of which we only keep about 6. It's been deemed that this needs to change, given that there are far more issues than team-leaders, and, as great as they are, they've found they cannot keep up with everything without loosing their dayjobs.

We had a pair of Hendersons get up and tell us about the great fundraising achievements of the year amounting to about $21,000. We were also approached by Jack Johnson, who keeps -- as a number of with-it musical artists do today -- up on a bit of continual philanthropy for good causes such as what perhaps includes our own.
The past seasons were too a mixed blessing given the news of Kelly Funk, with many of our and others' fundraising dollars going to assist with keeping things in order during her recovery.
Tyler announced the establishment of an official account set aside for such grievous events befalling our local producers called simply: the Farmer Support Fund: money set aside to help area farmers when in times of dire need.

On this note, Jessica from This Little Farm storage and processing facility got up and explained what had happened. A fire began in the main building and though it was evacuated quickly, the approximately 1-year-old facility was all but lost. Much of the savings of the crew of This Little Farm had gone into construction and equipment for the facility. It was erected as a way to enable small producers to create product without investing undue amounts of time or money in packaging, rendering, or storage. Although they had already begun to see some returns on the investment, the blaze was a spanner in the works. The team had already landed grants to proceed with operations and improve their process. At present, they are still bound by the obligations of the grants, but are suddenly without the capability to fulfill them. Given that so much literally went up in flames, they are looking for help.

More details should be available about this and internal proceedings at the upcoming 7-O'clock assembly on the evening of the 24th at New Day Meadery in Fountain Square, or by e-mailing the any of the Slow Food leadership.

After the team-leader -candidates are announced, we have Slow Food USA's Josh Viertel to the stage.

He begins with a story about hitchhiking in Sicily. He explains briefly that with the course of his philosophical education, he dealt with a lot of rhetoric about the nature of physical work in one aspect as a means to verify and concrete reality for oneself. He realized that for all his confidence in the words, he did not himself feel confident what physical work meant and was. After speaking with an advisor, and then flagrantly disregarding the advice of said advisor, he put school on hold and left to begin shepherding and farming. It was somewhere in the middle of that that the diminutive Fiat 500 rolled to a stop to pick him up by the shoulder. Josh struck up a conversation with the driver, explaining among other things what had brought him there. It seemed that much of it did not connect, but an aha-moment came when the man seemed to come abreast of what he was saying. He explained back essentially that wisdom comes not strictly from exercising the mind in itself, elucidating proper wisdom, knowledge, and understanding come from touching, seeing, and thinking, and that Josh had intuitively detected some imbalance or injustice within himself that he lacked in one department. The driver was himself introspective, feeling he lacked in much the opposite way.

Josh then gives us a piece of his reflection on what perhaps originally leant him to the attraction toward such a position as president of Slow Food. He explained that much of his childhood was spent playing on the kitchen floor, with one of his favourite toys being one of those metal flower-shaped folding vegetable steamers. He speculates he absorbed some his foundations from the time spent on that floor: the ideal that regardless of the circumstances within his family -- good times and hard -- they would always sit down together for dinner. Food was a medium over which to commune and address problems together. He took with him that people deserve this time spent together, regardless of their economic situation, or walk in life.

He describes next a conversation about hearing the other side. About sitting down and talking with someone who is not family, in fact who considers him to be an antagonist. He is on a plane. He's sitting next to a man in plain clothes with a hat which gives him away as a fishing enthusiast. Josh, partial to fishing himself, strikes up a conversation with the man, learning that he has a daytime profession as a conventional commodity-crop -grower of corn or soybeans. When it comes time for Josh to explain himself, he does and receives a curt reaction, something like, "Oh, so you're the people that I hate." Surprised but persisting, Josh encourages the man (Bill) to explain his position. He felt belittled and devalued by the perception that what he was doing was somehow bad or wrong. He was proud of what he had, proud of doing farmwork. He was afraid it would be taken away from him. Afraid of foreclosure if he could not keep up. Angry with the seed companies, and their growing model. He explained how great that first year had been. How everything had gone like clockwork, how a cropdusting had never delivered such results. But then, the continual need to purchase more seed, and the climbing input-requirements of fertilizer and pesticides. The rising debts. He felt in a way, duped. Slow Food USA was really the very least of his enemies. Josh had just been a vent for frustration, but had listened. He explained that the ideals of the organization were, albeit for different reasons, quite in line with the man's complaints, and how he felt they should be addressed.
By the end, Josh said, it had not been an entirely comfortable flight, but he was glad to have had the conversation, and at least briefly step out of the bubble of abuzzly contentment that we all know can come so gladly from great potlucks with great food, and good company.

Halfway between New York and Berkley and California, he mentions the importance of his stop here in Indianapolis. One of his fears when he's lobbying in Washington later this year is that after his initial explanation of what he and his organization are after is that he'll immediately get the question, "Well, where are your offices?" And if he answers "Ah, well, they're all in New York." then he'll be swiftly written off for being disconnected from where it is all happening, and how it really works.
He urged us as more representative members of the Midwest to continue to speak our message and talk with conventional growers about the state of our food system in the US.

The effort is for a simple purpose; people are connected by having had food together, clearly, and once this bond is established, addressing other problems, such as rebuilding from tragedy is but a small thing. Josh tells us of his vision where all of America comes together one day a week to share a meal. Suddenly, the issues we have all start to seem that much more surmountable.

He finally tells us of a story from one year's Terra Madre, as he's stuck as an English-speaking envoy with another party waiting on one more before they can leave on the shuttle. They are only a short leg away from hotels and other services, and Josh has been underway for more than a half day and is ofcourse fancies himself quite tired. Josh keeps being given the bad news of more delays every half-hour, and reluctantly but faithfully keeps up his end, reporting the coming tidings. He talks a bit with the translator for the group to whom he's passing the messages, and it turns out that their journey had begun with a two-day walk to a bus-station, and had lasted far, far longer than his own. Again a brief aside with the Italian organizer. Another delay. Another. Josh dutifully keeps passing it along, each time with a more grievous apology. The translator to whom he's passing the messages for the group tells him to stop saying sorry. Once he's got his attention he explains easily, "Listen. You all have the watches, _we_ have the time."

After a few questions are fielded, we're reminded that the upcoming Farm Bill is our most important goal at present. We're left with one more quote before parting, repeated a few times for emphasis: "You can't get to Heaven with the contents of your totebag from the farmer's market," and paired secondhand from Tyler, "Think not how you spend your time, but how you spend [and invest] yourself." We're then encouraged as members and enthusiasts to become otherwise engaged, and do more for good food, fair food, and sustainability.

a farm in need: Hoosier farm devastated by fire but you can help!

2011-01-18T17:09:00.003-05:00

Just a couple weeks ago, a devastating fire in Darlington, Indiana, completely destroyed This Old Farm's processing facility which made possible the sale of the good, clean, and fair protein & vegetable produce from more than 20 area farm families. We asked the good folks at This Old Farm what we could do to help, and they answered. Please consider their requests below as we all work together to strengthen our food community.

Hello This Old Farm Customers and Friends,

We want to take a moment to thank you all for your prayers and support. It has been comforting to hear the concern and understanding in the voices of those who have contacted us in regards to the loss from the fire. We are working on finding a facility to have a temporary partner relationship with while we rebuild our processing facility. As we explore this option, we ask that you continue to be patient while we take the time needed to pursue a new plan.

Many kind-hearted people have offered to help in any way they can. Thank you so much for that generous offer. This Old Farm was insured at the time of the fire. However, the funds provided will not cover the cost to rebuild the facility. We thought it would be helpful to us and to you to provide a list of ways you are able to help.

Our “Wish List” is as follows:

Prayers
Financial contribution of any amount (proceeds to rebuild the facility)
Equipment storage while we rebuild
Volunteers for clean-up crew or anyone with professional experience
Ideas to help our efforts
Pledges for restoration and supplies
Meat processing equipment and stainless steel tables
Office equipment (nearly new computers, executive desks, phone systems, folding chairs and tables)
Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers and patience. You are very important to us. We look forward to providing healthy foods to the community in the New Year

Sincerely,
The This Old Farm Team
9572 W Co Rd 650 S
Colfax, IN 46035

they have the watch, we have the time: Slow Food Indy's annual meeting

2011-01-17T07:58:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, Slow Food Indy welcomed Josh Viertel, president of Slow Food USA, to a potluck meal of local and seasonal treats before he made a presentation about why it's important for us in Indiana to be a part of the national advocacy campaign for food that's good for the people who eat it and for the people and land that produce it.
With thanks to Todd & Kathleen Jameson and Tia Agnew for their service on the SFI Leadership Team, three new members were elected to the ever-rotating board: Gail Brown, Kristin Hess, and Staraya McKinstry. Your SFI ended the year in the black while organizing and co-hosting several fundraising events for the Kelly Funk Recovery Fund.

Jessica Smith from This Old Farm in Darlington, Indiana, spoke about the devastating fire that completely destroyed the processing facility which made possible the sale of the protein and vegetable produce from more than 20 area farm families. Look for more info soon about ways we can help support their rebuilding efforts.

Laura Henderson recapped some of the food accomplishments around Indy during 2009 including urban gardening, entrepreneurial foodways, and continuing education opportunities.

Look for more on SFI's 2011 events and efforts soon!

Slow Food USA president speaks in Indy

2011-01-10T08:37:00.006-05:00

Josh Viertal is a farmer with philosophy and literature degrees from Harvard.

He was hired to lead Slow Food USA in 2008 and was just named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

He's coming to Indy to speak on Sunday, Jan. 16, for the 1pm annual meeting of Slow Food Indy in the Grand Hall which is located across from the Pepsi Coliseum on the State Fairgrounds on the State Fairgrounds. The event is free! Bring a dish to share for the potluck meal at 1pm...and bring your friends!

SFI's Annual Meeting: Location announced

2011-01-07T07:55:00.005-05:00

Slow Food Indy's annual meeting will be Sunday, Jan. 16, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in the Grand Hall which is located across from the Pepsi Coliseum on the State Fairgrounds.

Bring a dish to share for the potluck that begins at 1pm with the meeting to follow.

See you there!

SFI seeks new Board Members

2010-12-17T07:25:00.000-05:00

Three new team members will be elected at Slow Food Indy's annual meeting on Sunday, Jan. 16. These three newly elected board members will join six current board members (Mark Cox, John Egerton, Chris Eley, Tyler Henderson, Gabriele Rosselli and Ed Stites). After the elections, the full board of nine members will decide among themselves who will serve as officers (chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer, and membership chair).
Serving on the SFI board means...

- serving a three year term (Jan 2011 thru Dec 2013)
- attending the 2011 Focus & Planning Meeting in early 2011
- attending about 10 board meetings each year
- helping organize and present SFI events & programs
- helping to represent SFI in the community through info booths, speaking opportunities, media contacts, and more

Some of the benefits of serving on the SFI board include...

- coming to the table with like minded friends to further SFI's mission to "promote central Indiana's food culture"
- choosing SFI's events and programs for the year
- receiving Leaders-Only email updates from Slow Food USA
- good food, good drink, and good company

To nominate yourself or someone else, please send an email to Tyler Henderson, Nominations Committee Chair, at tylerhenders [at] yahoo.com by January 9, 2011. Your email should include the following information:

- nominee's name
- nominee's contact info
- whether nominee is a member of Slow Food USA or plans to become a member
- the nominee's experience and characteristics in line with Slow Food's ideals which would benefit SFI's work in promoting central Indiana's food culture

With questions or for more information, please contact Tyler Henderson at tylerhenders [at] yahoo.com or visit www.slowfoodindy.com.

Stay well and eat well,
Slow Food Indy

local, all-natural turkey....how much per pound?!

2010-11-11T09:05:00.002-05:00

As the holidays approach, it's become part of the ritual to look at budgets and the bills that may be approaching, too.

If presents under the tree are in the forecast, does that mean the Thanksgiving turkey on the table needs...trimming?

The Cratchits' first goose was local but little and expensive. And is local more important than big and cheap?

A couple recent articles have got us thinking about this balance...the one that hinges on eating good, clean, and fair food and the expense of it. Michael Pollan--who'll be speaking in Indy this Friday, Nov. 12--considers a dozen eggs for $8. And Jessica Smith from Indiana's own This Old Farm breaks down a $100 turkey.

With Thanksgiving coming up--a holiday that focuses on food and the harvest--we wonder what you think about putting local, all-natural ingredients on the table and the cost of obtaining them. We hope you'll share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section here!

De-Mystifying Food Choices: SFI at Spirit & Place

2010-10-31T14:38:00.001-04:00

When: Monday - November 8, 2010 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Where: New Day Meadery (1102 Prospect St., Indianapolis, IN 46203)

Cost: Free

Space: Limited. To guarantee yourself a place, please RSVP to Tyler Henderson at tylerhenders@yahoo.com

Format: Panel Discussion (audience participation will be strongly encouraged)

Event Description
Slow Food Indy’s contribution to the 2010 Spirit and Place Festival themed “Food for Thought” is an extremely practical one. Do you know the difference between grass-fed and grass-finished? Heirloom and heritage? Organic and all-natural? Local and non-local? With the rise of the local and sustainable food movement, food terminology continues to be co-opted by large agri-business and food marketing experts. The aim of the evening is to help participants learn how to make wise, sound and ethical food choices and navigate complex and confusing marketing terminology.

The evening will be moderated by Tyler Henderson, Big City Farms and Indy Winter Farmers Market co-owner and will include local food experts talking about their particular area of food expertise: Chris Eley, chef-owner, Goose the Market (meat); John Egerton, culinarian (seafood); Todd Jameson, Balanced Harvest Farm owner (vegetable/fruit); Ed Stites, culinarian (coffee); and Tia Agnew, co-owner, New Day Meadery (alcohol). Presented by Slow Food Indy and Brown Family Farm.

Questions? Contact Tyler Henderson on 317-652-5745 or e-mail tylerhenders [at] yahoo.com

Hoosier Harvest at Indiana State Museum

2010-09-29T13:36:00.002-04:00

Stop by the Indiana State Museum for their Hoosier Harvest festival.

Oct. 2-3 Harvest Jubilee
Oct. 9 Crocked, Sauced, & Pickled
Oct. 16-17 Urban Fresh

For more info and a complete schedule of events, go to indianamuseum.org

Heroes of the Sustainable Food Movement

2010-09-18T17:20:00.001-04:00

Monday, September 20th at 6:00 pm, the Pendleton Community Library welcomes three esteemed guests to talk with an audience about their role in the local sustainable food movement. Our guests include Regina Mehallick, Executive Chef of R Bistro, an Indianapolis-based restaurant that uses local, organic ingredients to prepare delicious gourmet dishes. Also appearing is Mark Apple from Apple Family Farms, a traditional farm located in McCordsville. Todd Jameson who runs Balanced Harvest Farm, a CSA based in Carmel is also a panel guest.

These presenters will talk about their unique roles in the local sustainable food movement, and will provide tips on how you can practice sustainable living in your own household.

Greens for Kelly: benefit dinner at Traders Point Creamery

2010-08-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

Valentine Hill Farm, Traders Point Creamery and Slow Food Indy invite you to join us for a fundraiser dinner for Kelly Funk on Monday, September 13, at Traders Point Creamery.

Kelly and her husband John Ferree own Seldom Seen Farm, one of the most successful small-scale vegetable operations in Central Indiana. As many of you know, Kelly was struck by lightning on her farm on July 8, and currently remains in an acute care rehabilitation setting as she fights to regain full consciousness.

To help her family defray some of the significant costs of her ongoing medical care, her friends in the farming and local food community have put together a buffet of local, sustainably grown food for your enjoyment. On the menu will be artisan breads and cheeses, summer sausages, an array of creative salads, desserts from some of Indy’s best bakeries and a selection of beers, meads and wines. A cash bar will also be offered for those wishing to purchase extra drinks or desserts.

Tickets are $25 each, or $100 for a family of 5. Dinner will be served in both barns from 5-9 PM, with live entertainment in the Red Barn, an opportunity to bid on silent auction items and a chance to tour the farm.

Tickets are pre-sale only, and may be purchased at the Valentine Hill Farm booth at the Trader’s Point Creamery, Broad Ripple, Binford, Zionsville and City Market farmers markets, or e-mail Maria (maria [at] valentinehillfarm.com) to get tickets by mail.

On Carnivores: a guest post from Schacht Farm, Bloomington, Indiana

2010-08-03T07:16:00.004-04:00

"If you eat meat, something had to die."

This is a line that many customers have heard me say over the past few years. In the past month I have taken 1600 broilers, 3 steers and 27 hogs to be slaughtered. I have a lot of time while transporting them to mull through the issues surrounding the taking of a life to nourish our bodies. Even before we started raising animals for meat, I decided that the only way I could eat meat with a clear conscious was to know that it had a good life. For this reason our customers will hear us talk about how we care for the animals we raise, they will see pictures of them on our table at market and on our website and they are invited to open farm day to enjoy time with the animals. We base this idea of openness and transparency on what we looked and listened for in farmers when we were still customers.

Every few weeks I get an email, phone call or question at market inquiring about how our animals are killed. Folks always seem reluctant to ask the question and I am always quick to thank them for caring enough to ask. It lets us know that they are conscious consumers and to us, as folks who cared enough about the issue to change our professions and lifestyle in order to farm, it is a welcomed conversation.

Below I will lay out how each species we raise is transported and slaughtered. My hope in this is that it will answer the question that many customers have cared enough to wonder about but have not yet asked.

Chickens and Turkeys- The chickens we raise are butchered around 2 ½ months old. The turkeys are 5 months at time of processing. Chickens go to sleep when the sun goes down, so we go out just before dark and load the birds in to crates and place them in our stock trailer. They sleep through the night and I leave at around 3:30 a.m. the next morning to take them to Illinois (the closest custom USDA inspected facility to us). The processing facility is owned and operated by an Amish family and is located on their farm. I arrive as the sun is coming up and the chickens are waking up, something I believe minimizes the stress to the birds. The birds are unloaded by hand, inverted and placed in cones. The main artery is cut and the blood drains out. They die in less than a minute. From there the feathers are removed, then innards and finally they are cooled and packaged. A note about how I choose the processor we work with- before I ever brought a bird there to be processed, I showed up unannounced one morning and walked right in the back door. I figured if they had something to hide about their methods, I would see it. Thankfully, the best word I can use to describe their actions is “reverent”. The workers were calm and quiet and handled the birds with care. I watched for several minutes before they noticed me. I asked for a tour then scheduled my processing dates for the season.

Hogs- Our hogs are pastured heritage breeds that grow more slowly than conventional hogs. They are butchered at around 8 months. Our hogs are loaded right out of the pasture. We simply pull the truck and trailer into the pasture, open the trailer door, pour out some feed in the trailer and close the door after they walk in. We generally take 10-14 hogs at a time. The hogs are processed at a facility in Celestine, about an hour and a half away. It is a small, family run processing facility. While there may be processors closer to us, we have a good relationship with these folks and trust that the meat we get back is always meat from animals we produced. The hogs have never seemed to be all that bothered by being in the trailer so we take them either late on Sunday evening or early Monday morning. The hogs are unloaded, weighed and put in a stall with water until processing. They are brought into a room where they are quickly and calmly killed- more specifically for those who will later ask, they are shot in the head.

Cattle- Our cattle are grassfed only (no grain!) and are processed between 20-22 months of age, generally in the late spring and late fall. The cattle are used to being rotated to new pastures, grazing all over the farm. At processing time, we rotate them to a small paddock and funnel them into a chute and into the trailer. We generally take 3 at a time to the same processor we work with when processing pork. Cattle don’t seem to calm down in the trailer near as much as the hogs, so we like to load them early in the morning and take them right to the processors so they don’t have the stress of being in the trailer or an unfamiliar stall at the processors overnight. The cattle are killed in the same manner as the hogs.

I think food tastes better when you know the story of how it came to be. In the case of our products, I hope knowing that the animals were raised in an environment where they were free to express their species-specific behaviors as well as treated humanely at processing time by folks who consider their well-being allows you to enjoy dinner with a clear conscience.

Copyright (C) 2010 Schacht Farm All rights reserved. Published on the SFI blog with permission.

Crop Mob 2: helping on Seldom Seen Farm

2010-07-30T07:51:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all who came to give their time and energy on John and Kelly’s farm last Sunday for our first Crop Mob. We had about 60 folks who built crates from old pallets and harvested all the onions and shallots before sorting and stacking them all in the crates for curing. Others weeded and put down straw mulch on the vegetable beds. We had a celebrity appearance from little Laila, still sporting that cute head of spiky red hair, transported in the arms of Grandma ( John’s mom Pam). Finally, many thanks to Neil & Lindy Brown, owners of Pizzology in Carmel, who donated the excellent pizzas and salads for supper.

For this Sunday's second Crop Mob, volunteers are welcome! A suggested schedule as follows:

Work shifts will be 9 AM to noon and 1-5 PM. Lunch will be served at noon for the morning shift, and pizza provided at 5 for the afternoon shift. I will again need 2-3 folks to make sandwiches starting at 11:30, and someone willing to pick up carryout pizzas around 4:30.

As always, come prepared with sunhats, bandannas, ice water, sunscreen/insect repellent and work gloves. Weather should be dry, with a high of 90 but humidity dropping throughout the afternoon.

Work needs in order of priority:

1.Potato harvesting. Bring a potato fork if you own one.
2. Block hoeing the broccoli and related veggies. Bring a hoe if you own one.
3. Stringing up tomato vines
4. Thinning beets, and depending on the condition of the thinned plants, transplanting them to a new spot
5. Possible tractor work for someone experienced with running one

6. Pulling up plastic sheeting and drip hose in the onion field

7. Compost turning

8. Mowing

Please let us know by Saturday afternoon if you can help so that we can plan for meals and work assignments: 317.733.9311 or info [at] valentinehillfarm.com

Best way to get directions is www.mapquest.com/. The farm address is 2525 N County Road 425 E, Danville, IN 46122

Please remember that if you can’t help with physical labor, you can always help by sending prayers, positive thoughts, and healing energy to Kelly and her family. Donations are welcome to the Kelly Funk Recovery Fund. Also, consider taking some of your grocery dollars to the Seldom Seen Farm stand at Broad Ripple Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and helping John and Kelly by supporting their business.

Volunteers Needed! Help the Hoosier farmer struck by lightning in her fields

2010-07-22T17:21:00.002-04:00

Kelly--who was struck by lightning while working at her Seldom Seen Farm--was moved out of ICU to a progressive care unit at Methodist Hospital this week. Although still not conscious, she’s breathing on her own and the healing process is moving in a positive direction.

For all who have offered to help with Kelly's farm, we have a semblance of a plan in place, thanks to the efforts of Todd Jameson. First priority is harvesting the onion and shallot crop, and here is what we have as far as a schedule and resources needed:

Sunday, 10-1:00.

1. Crew needed to tear apart palettes and build quick crates for storing the onions. Please come prepared with saws, hammers, and work gloves. Power tools are very welcome if you’re lucky enough to own them.

2. Large crew needed to walk the rows and pull onions, cut the tops, and transport them back across the fields for storage. Come dressed for the weather and bring sunhats, bandanas, garden gloves, sunscreen/insect repellant, and a knife or sturdy scissors. Most importantly, bring a jug of ice water to stay hydrated.

Sunday, 12:30-1:30.

1. Two individuals willing to make sandwiches and pour lemonade for the work crews. Sandwich fixings, lemonade and snacks will be provided.

Sunday, 1-2:00. LUNCH PROVIDED FOR MORNING WORK CREW.

Sunday, 2-5:00.

1. Large crew needed to walk the rows and pull onions, cut the tops, and transport them back across the field for storage. Come dressed for the weather and bring sunhats, bandanas, garden gloves, sunscreen/insect repellant, and a knife or sturdy scissors. Most importantly, bring a jug of ice water to stay hydrated.

Sunday, 4:30.

1. Individual willing to make a run for pizzas and bring them to the farm. Money to pay for the pizzas will be provided.

Sunday, 5-7:00. PIZZA SUPPER AND BRIEFING ON WORK NEEDS FOR SUBSEQUENT WEEKS

Please let us know by Saturday afternoon if you can help out, what work shift you will fill, and what job you would like to do: 317.733.9311 or info [at] valentinehillfarm.com

Best way to get directions is www.MapQuest.com. The farm address is 2525 N County Road 425 E, Danville, IN 46122

Please remember that if you can’t help with physical labor or a financial donation, you can always help by sending prayers, positive thoughts, and healing energy to Kelly and her family. Also, consider taking some of your grocery dollars to the Seldom Seen Farm stand at Broad Ripple Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and helping John and Kelly by supporting their business.

Fundraiser for Kelly: a Lobster Bake benefit

2010-07-16T21:14:00.003-04:00

Slow Food Indy is proud to host a benefit event for Kelly Funk and her family.

News of the tragic accident in Kelly's field is spreading and her family and her community are grateful for your concerns and hopeful thoughts for the future. Still, Kelly and her family face massive expenses along with massive challenges in the days to come. To help with these expenses, Slow Food Indy is hosting a benefit event. Mark your calendars, get your tickets, and come hungry!

Sunday, August 22, 2:30pm – 8:30pm
New England Lobster Bake at the Apple Family Farm
benefiting Kelly Funk, her husband John Ferree, and daughter Laila
$75 per person -- get tickets!

Chef John Egerton and other local chefs will be preparing a proper New England Lobster Bake using sustainably caught lobster and mussels and local vegetables.

Freshly Steamed Live Lobster With Drawn Butter
Fresh Indiana Corn On The Cob
New Harvest Indiana Potatoes With Fresh Parsley
Steamed Mussels With White Wine, Butter And Garlic
Fresh Coleslaw With Mustard & Celery Seed
Fresh Homemade Blueberry Dessert

keeping Kelly in our thoughts

2010-07-10T08:30:00.003-04:00

Slow Food Indy was deeply saddened to learn that Kelly Funk, who farms with her husband John Ferree at their Seldom Seen Farm, is in critical condition after being struck by lightning while working in their fields.

Kelly and John were Terra Madre delegates in 2008 and work tirelessly to provide our community with good, clean, and fair food.

We hope you'll join Slow Food Indy in keeping Kelly, John, their daughter Laila, and all their family in our thoughts. Just as the fruits of their labor nourished us, we hope that our community's collective care can nourish their spirits as they face the challenges ahead.

Real Milk Dairy Tour

2010-07-10T08:29:00.001-04:00

Real Milk Dairy Tour
Saturday July 31, 2010
8am – 8pm

Tour will consist of a charter bus tour departing Indianapolis at 8am and heading to the Swiss Connection in Clay City, IN and to Rhodes Family Farm in Newburg, IN.

Ticket Price
$45 per person

To purchase a ticket, please go to www.brownpapertickets.com
Event title: Real Milk Dairy Tour

Price includes
Charter Bus Transportation Cost
Two (2) Small Dairy Farm Tours
Cheese & Charcuterie Tasting
Raw Milk Production Handbook by Tim Wightman or
Safe Handling Consumers Guide by Peggy Beals, RN
Milk discussion on the Bus Ride

Optional cost could include a box lunch or picnic lunch from Goose the Market and food items for sale at the farms. (ex. cheese)

Things to Bring
Picnic Lunch (or purchase optional box lunch)
Table Setting (plates, bowls, cups, silverware, napkins)
Lawn Chair or Picnic Blanket
Rain Gear?

Pick Up Location
Sun King Brewing Company
135 N College Ave

A project of
Slow Food Indy
and
Indianapolis Chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation

Schedule

8am Depart Indianapolis on a charter bus that seats 45 - 55 people

9:30am Arrive @ Swiss Connection

9:30am - 12:30pm Swiss Connection
Welcome to Swiss Connection introduction and tour. (1 hour)
Butter and Cottage Cheese making demo. (1 hour)
Cheese room tour with cheese and charcuterie tasting. (1 hour)
(Tasting would be all Swiss Connection Cheeses and Goose the market charcuterie)

12:30pm Depart Swiss Connection

1:30pm Arrive @ Rhodes Family Farm

1:30pm - 5pm Rhodes Family Farm
Picnic area (2 groups, 1 hour per picnic) +
Hayride farm tour (2 groups, 1 hour per hayride) +
Group would separate in two, one would picnic one would hayride (2 hours total)

Dairy tour with afternoon milking

5pm – 6pm Depart Rhodes Family Farm

Arrive in Indianapolis

The Longest Dinner sponsored by indyFringe.org

2010-06-26T06:57:00.001-04:00

The Longest Dinner sponsored by indyFringe.org
Date: July 29, 2010
Tickets: $55, cash bar
Time: 6:00 PM

Enjoy a truly unique dining experience around one long table.

Three courses of delectable food prepared slow-food style - each paired with an eclectic Fringe performance! 2010 IndyFringe Festival program launch - see it first! After party inside with more unforgettable entertainment.

This is an exclusive event — early reservations are essential! A portion of the proceeds will be shared with Slow Food Indy.

As part of the slow food movement, the Longest Dinner is committed to using locally grown food. This year an IndyFringe volunteer will grow all the vegetables that will be used. There will be an opportunity to join in the process by helping harvest the vegetables in July.

To volunteer, contact Karen Lee (karen [at] webartbykaren.com or 288-4508).

Spit Fest 2010: join Slow Food Indy on Father's Day

2010-06-11T07:12:00.002-04:00

Join Slow Food Indy on Sunday, June 20, 2010.

Once again we will be celebrating Father’s Day on the farm.

This year Chef John Egerton is roasting a hog and we are hosting a local foods pot-luck side dish competition.

There will be a panel of judges to taste your side dish and choose a winner.

Prizes include:

1st prize – 2 Tickets to Jack Johnson at Verizon Wireless Music Center on Friday, July 23rd.
2nd prize – Gift certificate from Goose the Market.

Address:
650 South 2155 West
Lebanon, IN 46052

Throughout the afternoon hay ride tours will be offered and attendees are alsowelcome to walk around the farm, stroll the fields, etc. A farm stand will be set up offering Randle Family Farm products for sale.

The New Old Cavalry bluegrass band will be performing!

Non-meat eaters in attendance are asked to give a donation in any amount as part of this SFI fundraiser, and of course are welcome to participate fully in the side dish competition.

Attendees are welcome to bring their own alcohol to the farm.

Cost is $30 per person.

Space is limited so get your ticket NOW: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/116073

Tell our Senate, "Now's the time to update the National School Lunch Program!"

2010-05-16T15:07:00.002-04:00

The National School Lunch Program hasn't been updated for years, and schools are struggling to meet the demand for fresh, local food. The Senate has introduced a bill with new funding for healthier food, stronger nutrition standards, and grants for linking schools to local farms -- but it's been stalled by Senate leadership, and may be postponed for another year or two. Instead of much-needed help, school lunch programs could end up with the same old status quo.

Please tell your Senators to make child nutrition a priority. And if you're having a hard time finding the right words, try these: "Do what's best for America's children, and sign the Lincoln/Chambliss 'Dear Colleague' letter, which asks Senate leaders to schedule time for the Child Nutrition Bill ASAP."

Asparagus The Movie

2010-05-06T07:09:00.001-04:00

Potluck 6pm, May 7
Film Screening 7pm, May 7
Asparagus The Movie
Earth House (New York & East St. in downtown Indy)

Please bring along a potluck asparagus dish and recipe to celebrate this great local delicacy at 6pm so we have time to try everything. (please bring a re-useable fork, knife, and plate)

The film will be $5.00 a head.

This should be a great event we are proud to be partnering with both the Indy Food Coop and the Indianapolis Vegetarian society, to make this happen, so come early to learn about their groups and eat some great asparagus dishes.

Child Nutrition Act: Move fast to go slow!

2010-03-24T12:10:00.001-04:00

Indiana Senator Richard Lugar serves on the Agricultural Committee that today has started marking up the bill that will plan our kids' menus.

The Child Nutrition Act proposes more funding for kids' nutrition programs, better nutrition standards, and support for Farm to School programs. It's not the end-all solution, but it's an important step in the right direction. So now is our chance to take three minutes to contact Senator Lugar (202.224.4814 or email) and ask him to represent his constituents' interests by

helping schools serve healthier food by making the full investment of $1 billion per year for child nutrition programs.
including $50 million over five years for grants to start Farm to School programs, which link schools to local farms and support the local economy

While our own memories of horrid school lunch food may be enough to call for change, there are hoards of experts, statistics, teachers, and even kids who can point to the damaging effects of lacking good, clean, and fair food for children. And if the reports aren't enough, well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Join the Slow Food Indy and contact your senator to support better food for kids!

State budget cuts threaten good, clean, and fair meat

2010-02-11T15:04:00.003-05:00

Last week, Gov. Mitch Daniels' administration eased up slightly on his plan to slash funding for inspection of meat processing plants throughout the state. While the Governor originally announced a 50% cut in the program's budget--a gash made even deeper since federal matching funds would decrease as well--the Indiana State Board of Animal Health which overseas the meat processing inspection has reported that their budget will be cut by less than 50%. How much less? The Governor's office hasn't been able to answer that question yet.

Check out the clear and concise answers that the folks at Royer Farm have written about what it means if there isn't enough funding for meat processing inspections in Indiana.

As for Slow Food, while it may seem like funding for meat processing inspection has more to do with clean than good or fair, the budget cuts threaten all three of Slow Food's guiding principles.

Good: Some of the state's tastiest, most appealing meat and poultry comes from small, family farms. These little, independent operations tend to be customers of the state's 134 smallest meat processing facilities, the same facilities that face the greatest risk of closing or decreasing operations because of state budget cuts.

Clean: Of course, processing meat must be done cleanly, but the farmers who tend to bring their herds to the type of processing facilities threatened by the budget cuts are the same farmers who think about clean in every aspect of their operation. Beyond the rubber boots and the face masks, they work hard not to sully their animals with artificial growth stimulants, genetically modified feed, or cramped living conditions. They respect the health of their land and strive to provide their customers with healthy, wholesome food.

Fair: Cutting the budget for meat processing inspection means jobs lost, local economies threatened, and--since all meat that's sold or donated in Indiana must be processed at an inspected facility--greater opportunity for industrial meat producers as little, local competitors lose access to the only way to get their product to market.

While most of us--including the state--are faced with challenging budget decisions these days, there are ways to let the Governor's administration and our representatives know that good, clean, and fair food is our priority. Here are a few...

contact Governor Daniels (317-232-4567 or email http://www.in.gov/gov/2631.htm) and tell him to reinstate funding for the Indiana Meat and Poultry Inspection Program
find your state representative and senator here and tell them to support funding of the Indiana Meat and Poultry Inspection Program
buy all-natural meat and poultry from local farmers who produce good, clean, and fair food...you might find some options here

Crop Snails

2009-09-27T10:31:00.002-04:00

From Slow Food USA's blog, check out the corn maze that farmer Harry Ludlow created. Any Hoosier farmers feel like taking on an a-mazing challenge from Slow Food?

White Riverside Potluck

2009-09-08T10:11:00.002-04:00

On August 30, Slow Food Indy and Indiana's Weston A. Price Foundation brought together over 120 of our members and friends for a potluck picnic along the White River. Several speakers shared sources and stories about eating good, clean, and fair food in central Indiana.

“How to Eat Local” Potluck and Speakers: Aug. 30

2009-08-24T20:26:00.001-04:00

“How to Eat Local” Potluck and Speakers
A Joint Meeting of Slow Food Indy and Weston A. Price

IMPORTANT: LOCATION HAS CHANGED

The time remains at Noon on Sunday, August 30th.

Bring blankets, lawn chairs, plates, cups, napkins, and eating utensils. Bring the kids and the whole family for a great afternoon at the park sharing food and listening to speakers.

The new location is the Celebration Amphitheatre at White River State Park (WRSP). To get to WRSP, turn West off of West Street onto Washington Street in the direction of the Zoo. You can drop off materials at the loading zone on the circular drive in front of the Visitor’s Center. Parking is pay parking and surface and garage parking is available by following the signs. Celebration Amphitheatre is right next to the walk bridge to the Zoo and across the Canal from the NCAA Hall of Champions. It is located to the North West of the Visitor Center near the red abstract sculpture.

We have an absolutely free afternoon planned with the potluck, speakers, and vendors of good food products. Come and have a good time with us on this afternoon and learn about the steps that you can take to eat more local.

Questions?Contact Ed at membership@slowfoodindy.com

Indy Market Chefs Challenge Finals: Sept. 9

2009-08-24T20:23:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to the 4 preliminary round winners of the Indy Market Chefs Challenge:

Matt Krueger – Exceptional Catering
Miguel Cardero – Mama Corollas
Jess Rombach – Noah Grants
John Adams – H2O Sushi.

The final will be at City Market on September 9th in Whistler Plaza. There will be a couple of differences from the prelims, primarily with plating. Each contestant will make 3 tasting plates for the judges to taste, 1 show plate, and a platter with 10 samples for the public. Contestants are encouraged to bring their own plate ware.

Timeline: 10:20 set-up
10:50 chef’s Briefing
10:55 – 11:15 Shopping
11:15 – 12:15 Cooking
12:15 – 12:45 Judging and clean-up
12:45 Market Champion Announced

Farm & Garden Dinner in Review

2009-08-09T09:37:00.005-04:00

Last night, about 100 guests celebrated the Hoosier summer's bounty with a potluck meal and foodways demonstrations at the Farm & Garden Dinner, hosted by Epworth United Methodist's Green Team, the Sierra Club, and Slow Food Indy.

Before tucking in to Gunthorp Farm chicken provided by Goose the Market and barbecue sauce from Local Folks, we learned about sustainably produced, local farm ingredients while churning ice cream, canning tomatoes, and shucking corn. Recipe cards next to each pitch-in dish highlighted tasty uses for other local ingredients.

After dinner, Todd Jameson, president of Slow Food Indy and owner of Balanced Harvest Farm, spoke about what Slow Food means to him and about the local food scene in central Indiana. We can all have a part in the best food chain by voting with our forks and eating food that's Good, Clean, and Fair.

National "40 under 40" includes Indy farmers

2009-07-26T18:41:00.003-04:00

Last week, the Mother Nature Network announced their national hot list...40 farmers under 40. As Matt Hickman writes, "Meet the new crop of American farmers -- young and energetic idealists who are bringing local, sustainable food back to the table."

The list includes three Indy tillers: Matt Jose and Laura and Tyler Henderson.

Urban gardening and local food presentations this fall

2009-06-23T07:47:00.002-04:00

Two presentations by Lisa Heldke, Department of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College, are scheduled for this fall. Learn more below and save the date! Space is limited for both events. Please RSVP to j r h o d e s 4 [ a t ] i n d y . r r . c o m

Monday 28 September 2009
3:00 PM-4:15 PM
IUPUI, Campus Center (CE) 309420 University Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Cultivating Cosmic Patriotism by Cultivating Cosmos: Urban Gardening and the Creation of Community (pdf)

This essay considers urban gardening as an important contemporary setting in which to cultivate what Jane Addams calls "cosmic patriotism," an alternative to the patriotism of the tribe, and a form of patriotism characterized by a commitment to multiculturalism, humanitarianism, and internationalism. Community gardens, "guerilla gardens," and other collective, urban agricultural ventures offer the very sorts of urban settings Addams argued were crucial for the nurturance of such patriotism: a pleasurable, or recreational setting in which city residents could share their knowledge and culture with each other in a spirit of play and openness. Heldke will discuss these issues in an informal afternoon session.

Monday 28 September 2009
Reception: 6:00 PM
Lecture: 6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Lilly Auditorium (on lower level of IUPUI University Library)
755 W Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46202
(Parking is available at the North Street Garage, 819 W. North St. Bring your ticket to the event for a free validation stamp)

Staying Home For Dinner: Ruminations on Local Foods in a Cosmopolitan Society (pdf)

Reflecting on the decision to eat locally produced food suggests that ethical decisions cannot be cast as individual choices between two clear alternatives. When we seek morally unambiguous choices, we focus our ethical energies in the wrong place. The moral focus of our ethical decision-making should fall on building communities because the importance of any choice we make lies in the relationships that give our choices context. Food is an especially rich intersection of relations and so provides many opportunities to reflect, connect, and imagine more democratic communities. Recognizing these opportunities leads us to see ourselves not as food consumers but as food citizens who seek to enact and transform our relations through not only our purchasing and eating choices but also through our collective work in organizations that promote healthy, just, fair, safe, and delicious food systems for all people.

School's out but the seeds are in: Local school children plant an edible schoolyard

2009-06-10T17:14:00.004-04:00

Mollie Eley wears many hats. For those of us who left middle school years ago, Mollie is the friendly and knowledgeable owner of Goose the Market near downtown Indy. But to a special group of kids who just left middle school a week ago (for summer break), Mrs. Eley is the counselor and teacher who encouraged them to play in the dirt.

Mollie and her school, Sand Creek Intermediate in Fishers, were awarded a grant from the Hamilton Southeastern School Foundation to start an edible schoolyard earlier this spring. The kids planted tomatoes, kale, carrots, sunflowers, pumpkins, squash, lettuce, herbs, corn, and peas before school let out. They'll return this fall to harvest the produce and use it in hands-on cooking lessons with local chefs. As the garden grows next year--just like the student-farmers' expertise--the kids plan to sell produce from future harvests at a local farmers market booth.

The support that Mollie and her students have received from their community, the school principal, and parents is integral to the garden's success. The school's janitor, Jesse Myers, learned of Mollie's project and volunteered to share his gardening expertise with the kids. Jesse started the kids' seeds in the greenhouse on his impressive private garden and taught the students and adults about turning over the soil, using compost, and choosing seeds.

The kids working on this project face more challenges than most gardeners. Students in Mollie's Functional Academic Program (or FAP) focus on academics and activities designed to help them function and contribute to the world around them, regardless of the mild mental disabilities they handle every day. Nurturing a living thing and watching it grow are golden life lesson, but these kids will also learn to cook with "good, clean, and fair" food as well as interacting with customers, filling orders, and making change at their farmers market booth. It's an edible school yard that feeds the body and the mind.

Local Producers in the News

2009-06-04T16:22:00.005-04:00

To market, to market...that's the tune lots of us in central Indiana are singing now that summer has arrived and more than a dozen farmers markets are in full bloom around Indianapolis. Why just today the 38th & Meridian Farmers Market began its season of Thursday afternoon offerings. Stop by from 4-6:30pm at the north side of the church next to the children's playground for Indiana raised or produced vegetables, meat, cheese, honey, baked goods, potted plants, canned goods, and more.

All these market stands might be the reason lots of local producers have been in the news lately. S eldom Seen Farm was highlighted in the Indy Star's latest Taste Section.

Balanced Harvest was featured on the blog Going Local.

And the Hoosier Gardener blog noted that Goose the Market got its hands in the dirt with new herb and vegetable beds.

(Photos courtesy of Indy Star, Going Local, and Goose the Market.)

Father's Day Hoedown and Throwdown

2009-06-03T14:09:00.014-04:00

Fried chicken, farm animals, and live bluegrass...
what more could your pops ask for?

Celebrate Father's Day with Slow Food Indy at Skillington Farms

The Hoedown

Fresh fried chicken

Live bands

Pitch-in picnic

Farm tour

The Throwdown

Your best side dish--Bring it!

Judges: local food experts

Prizes: meat, bacon, coupons

Here’s the Story

Bring the whole family for a fried chicken picnic and live music at Skillington Farms in Lebanon, Indiana, on Sunday, June 21st at 3pm.

Chris Eley of Goose the Market will be on site, frying chicken fresh from Skillington Farms. Each family should bring a dish to share for the pitch-in picnic to accompany the fried chicken. (Bring your own reusable dining ware, too!)

Enter your dish in the Side Dish Throwdown. A panel of local food experts will judge the entries for originality, use of local ingredients, and, of course, flavor. Three winners will receive a meat sampler from Skillington Farms, Bacon of the Month Club membership from Goose the Market, or a Green Savings Indy coupon book.

Tickets: purchase by June 19th!

Children 12 and younger: FREE
Adults: $14/Slow Food Members $20/non-members

Tickets are required and only available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/69715
Tickets include farm tour, live music, and fried chicken.
Remember to bring a side dish to share!

What to bring

A side dish to share
Picnic blanket and/or chairs
Sunscreen and bug spray
Comfortable shoes for the farm tour and your dancing shoes
BYOB
Your own reusable dining ware (plates, cups, utensils, etc.) to reduce waste

Live Local Bands

The Perennials 4pm
Woodstove Flapjacks 5pm

Chickens danced and plates were filled: A great day at Seven Springs Farm

2009-06-02T08:47:00.018-04:00

Slow Food Indy thanks all the guests and our generous hosts--Luella and David Porter--for a wonderful day at Seven Springs Farm.

About 60 guests filled their plates from the potluck buffet of seasonal ingredients before finding a spot in the sun or the shade. Just a few of the locally and sustainably produced treats included asparagus, swiss chard, arugula, strawberries, lamb's quarters, rhubarb, two-year-old dry cured ham, last summer's peach and apple wine, meatballs, noodles, and more.

Luella and David led a tour of their biodynamic farm where they plant by the moon, move chickens and their houses to fresh pasture each day, and care for their grass fed dairy and beef cattle.

Folks who took picture at the event are more than welcome to share by adding to Slow Food Indy's flickr group.

Mark your calenders now for Slow Food Indy's next event, the June 21st Father's Day Hoedown and Throwdown at Skillington Farms near Lebanon, Indiana.

Central Indiana Farm Fresh Atlas

2009-05-29T07:10:00.003-04:00

Call to everyone! The Indy Food Security Initiative is creating a Central Indiana Farm Fresh Atlas. This atlas will list farms, food-related businesses and local/organic non-food products that sell their goods directly to customers in central Indiana. It will be the link to great-tasting food and great products grown/produced close to home! This will be printed and placed around the city and will be free.

Please email your farm, restaurant, grocer or other non-food business to us. If you know of someone who should be listed, please email us their info!

What we need:
Name
Address
Email/Website
Short Description

The farms that we will list in this atlas must be all family or cooperatively owned and sell products grown on their farm or produced by their business. They’ve pledged to operate in a way that protects our region’s land and water resources by eliminating the application of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, provides safe and fair working conditions, and treats animals with care and respect.

The restaurants that we will list in this atlas serve local food, mentioning where organic, and follow practices that protect natural resources and worker safety.Whether selling local food on their shelves, advocating for sustainable agriculture, or educating the public, the businesses and organizations listed here support local and organic eating and buying.

Thanks and spread the word!
Indy Food Security Initiative

Knee Deep in June

2009-05-29T06:58:00.002-04:00

Knee Deep in June is a culinary celebration of Indiana's creative roots hosted by The Friends of T.C. Steele State Historic Site. A cooking lesson, dinner, and live cello music will accompany live performances of "Knee Deep in June" by Matt O’Neil, chef and WFHB guest poetry reader. Download the event flyer here.

RSVP Deadline is June 8th. For more information on this event and to make a reservation, please visit www.tcsteele.org or contact Christine Atkinson at catkinson@dnr.in.gov or (812)677-2003. Pre-payment is required, and this event is rain or shine.

2009-05-13T10:17:00.002-04:00

Join Slow Food Indy for a potluck picnic and tour of the biodynamic Seven Springs Farm on Sunday, May 31, at 2pm.

Luella & David Porter raise chickens, turkeys, and beef cattle on their biodynamic farm in Rush County, about 40 minutes southeast of Indy. Their all-natural farm fresh eggs are a mainstay at several Indy-area markets and restaurants. The couple will lead a tour of their farm and explain the biodynamic practices they employ to keep their animals and their land healthy and productive.

Bring a dish to share and we'll feast on a potluck picnic at the farm. Remember to bring your own reusable dining ware (plates, utensils, cups, bowls, etc.) so we can minimize waste. If you're interested in carpooling, please contact us at Slow Food Indy.

Food stamps could be accepted at all Indiana Farmers Markets

2009-05-07T07:01:00.002-04:00

Indiana House Bill 1535 has passed through both the Senate and the House on its way to the Governor's desk. The bill could make food stamps and TANF acceptable currency at all Indiana farmers markets by 2010. As the bill proposes, "the division of family resources must provide farmer's market administrators or retailers who sell food at a farmers' market with wired or wireless point of sale terminals that are connected to the electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system."

WFIU's Earth Eats

2009-04-29T12:24:00.002-04:00

Earth Eats is a weekly podcast from WFIU that describes its focus as real food and green living. As the program's web site explains, "The program explores local food and sustainable agriculture with recipes you can make at home, interviews with Indiana farmers and Chef Daniel Orr's musings on food, history, and culture."

Why eat local in a global market?

2009-04-29T12:11:00.003-04:00

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana hosts a new series of lunchtime discussions they've dubbed First Wednesdays.

Join us Wednesday, May 6, when the food is on agenda.

Sustainable Table:
Why Eat Local in a Global Market?

Panelists:
- Matt Jose, Big City Farms
- Todd Jameson, Balanced Harvest Farm
- Laura Henderson, Market Master
- Chris Eley, Owner, Goose the Market

Moderated by Laura McPhee, News Editor of Nuvo Newsweekly

WHERE: IUPUI Campus Center, Room 409 (at 420 University Blvd., Indianapolis)
WHEN: Wednesday, May 6, Noon - 12:50 p.m

Caviar, Vodka, and a stroll in the garden

2009-04-27T06:37:00.012-04:00

Thanks to all who tipped a class and rolled blini during Slow Food Indy's Local Caviar & Vodka Tasting at R Bistro yesterday.

Neal and Lindy Brown were behind the bar mixing new cocktails--like the tart "embarcadero" and the sweet "dying breed"--with local Heartland Vodka made at Indiana's first distillery since prohibition.

John Egerton wooed the good folks at Collins Caviar and Shuckman's Fish Co. to share delicious caviar like Chinook Salmon and Bowfin. The bright eggs topped loads of blini and Blue Point oysters not 48 hours from the water.

After drinks and tastes, Tyler and Laura Henderson led folks to the new kitchen garden they helped install next to R Bistro. Spouts from the fennel, carrots, greens, and beats were already up.

To check out more photos from the event, watch the SFI flickr group as folks add their images to the collection. And save the date for SFI's next event on Sunday, May 31, at Seven Springs Farm. We'll tour Luella's biodynamic farm and share a pitch-in picnic.

Chicago's Green Festival: Alice Waters

2009-04-21T05:53:00.002-04:00

Alice Waters is among the 150 speakers presenting at this year's Green Festival in Chicago, a showcase of how-to workshops, green films, a Fair Trade pavilion, yoga classes, kids’ activities, delicious organic beer, wine, and cuisine, and live music on Chicago's Navy Pier, May 16-17.

Indiana vodka and Hoosier caviar tasting

2009-04-20T07:01:00.002-04:00

Join Slow Food Indy at R bistro, 888 Massachusetts Avenue in downtown Indy, for an evening of creative pairings featuring caviar and vodka, both produced in Indiana.

Passed hors d'oeuvres and drinks created by local legend Neal Brown, formerly of L'Explorateur, will be served on Sunday, April 26, 4-6pm. Enjoy local music during the event, too.

Tickets are available at the door and are $20 for Slow Food Members and $25 for non-members. Over 21 only, please.

Also, Slow Food Indy needs some help. Is there a graphic designer, sign maker, or artisan wood burner out there to help us make some sign posts on stakes? These will be used to mark the urban/school gardens where Slow Food Indy is involved. Email us at slowfoodindy@gmail.com if you can help...and thanks!

Garden Expert teaches at IWFM

2009-04-13T19:19:00.002-04:00

April 11, 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. :
Herbs and Perennials as Companion Plants -- Sale and Discussion
Indy Winter Farmers Market

Constance Ferry of Hobbit Gardens will have herbs and perennials available for sale to help you get your garden growing. Constance will speak at 10:30 a.m. on using herbs and perennials as companion plants in the garden, but feel free to ask her about it any time as you do you consider what to add to your garden this year. She has a wealth of information that she is happy to share.

5th graders are the Obamas' newest advisers: The White House Garden

2009-03-25T09:55:00.006-04:00

First Lady Michele Obama announced that the White House will break ground on its first kitchen garden in over 60 years. The Obamas will be getting some experienced help in the new, organic rows. Fifth graders from a local school that's kept a garden since 2001 are helping plant, harvest, and cook the White House produce. Learn more in the New York Times' story and read a letter from Slow Food USA President Josh Viertel about the First Family's first garden.

Slow Food Indy Members elect three new board members

2009-02-22T18:12:00.004-05:00

During Slow Food Indy's annual meeting on January 25th, SFI members took a break from the comfort food potluck to elect three new members to SFI's Chapter Board. With SFI's newly approved bylaws in one hand (and a fork in the other), the new Chapter Board is excited help present the 2009 line up of Slow Food Indy events, programs, and meals.

The SFI board meets the last Sunday of each month, and officers were elected during the first meeting:

Todd Jameson, Chair
Chris Eley, Vice Chair
Bowden Quinn, Treasurer
Corrie Quinn, Secretary
Ed Stites, Membership Chair

Other board members and their charges include Tia Agnew (Resource Development), Thom England, Tyler Henderson (Community Gardens), Kathleen Jameson (Farm to Table Dinners).

There's a lot on the table for Slow Food Indy in 2009. We hope you'll pull up a chair! If you have ideas for SFI events or would like to volunteer for a committee, please contact us at slowfoodindy@gmail.com

Stay well and eat well,
Slow Food Indy

Kids and Food in the News

2009-02-22T17:35:00.000-05:00

Check out these recent pieces on kids and food...

Alice Waters pleads in the New York Times for No Lunch Left Behind, and Eleanor Beardsley checks out the lunch plates where, In Paris, Culinary Education Starts in Day Care.

Indy's first Urban Farming Forum

2009-01-25T10:58:00.002-05:00

Please come to the first Groundhog Day (Monday, 2/2) Urban Farming Forum at KIBI Headquarters: 1031 Fletcher Ave., 5:30Pm to 7ish.

All Indianapolis fans of backyard gardening for food and growers of goodies should take note of Punxsutawney Phil's next big day of Monday, Februrary 2nd, 2009. This will be the date upon which more will arrive to Indy than news from some groundhog harbinger of more foul winter weather. Instead, from 5:30PM to 7:00PM at 1029 Fletcher Avenue, the new Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIBI) headquarters site will host Indy's FIRST "Urban Farming Forum."

Chris Harrell, brownfield/urban redevelopment specialist (and local produce fan); Sarah Wiehe, IUPUI medical researcher and pediatrician (and ardent urban gardner); Matthew Jose, urban agriculture specialist; and Laura Henderson, Founder of Indy's new Winter Farmer's Market will join together to host all attendees at this FREE event.The Urban Farming Forum expects to bring together the many disparate groups, individuals, churches, nonprofits, and more to discuss multiple topics of interest. Main topics will include: health and safety issues sometimes confronted when farming urban sites, how to mend soil if health concerns are discovered in the soil, what crops are best suited for Indianapolis and environs and related garden growing hints, and lastly how to share the bounty from urban gardens with the your neighbors or the public at large by market or through nonprofit assistance (churches, community gardens, poverty relief, or supplying urban schools with fresh and healthy produce,etc.).

These are just some of the topics that will be discussed on Monday, February 2nd, 2009 (Groundhog Day) from 5:30PM to 7PM. Come out and link up with other nonprofits and individuals seeking to grow their own goods in Indy's urban gardens! Light refreshments will be served following the meeting to prompt further discussion and help chart the course for next steps. Details on the upcoming Indianapolis Food Security Summit will also be provided by attendees from Earth Charter Indiana and Slow Food Indy!

Whether or not old Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Monday Feb. 2nd, 2009, please come out to meet other urban farmers no matter the size of your plot! Even if you are just thinking of splitting some soil this spring, come meet others planning to do the same in Indy. If you have any questions please email Chris Harrell at theharrell@gmail.com or call 502.298.2832.

See more details and RSVP on A Greener Indiana: http://www.agreenerindiana.com/ or email Chris Harrell at theharrell@gmail.com

Comfort Foods Potluck

2009-01-14T12:03:00.005-05:00

Sunday, Jan. 25, 2pm, Normandy Barn, Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St.

What to bring: your favorite comfort food to share, dining ware (plates, bowls, cups, utensils, etc.), drinks

Join fellow Hoosier food fans to beat the winter greys. Bring your favorite comfort food to share and sample the luscious, indulgent dishes of friends old and new. Several local chefs and food producers are eager to share their favorite comfort foods with you at the event. Come hungry. Everyone is welcome!

During the event, Slow Food Indy's delegates to Terra Madre--an international food conference in Torino, Italy--will hold a panel discussion about their experiences in Italy and how the lessons they learned will impact our food culture here in central Indiana. Check out photos from their trip, listen to their first-hand experience representing Indiana to a global audience, and get the chance to ask your own questions about their trip and the future of food in Indiana.

Slow Food Indy will also hold its brief and interesting 2009 Annual Meeting during the event. Everyone is welcome to listen in, but only members of Slow Food USA will get to vote for new chapter board members and bylaws.

Slow Food Indy's board has put together a draft of chapter bylaws, and we're looking for your input. Please contact us at slowfoodindy@gmail.com to receive a copy of the draft bylaws and contact us BEFORE the annual meeting on Jan. 25 (details above) with any suggestions regarding the bylaws. The bylaws will be presented to the membership for a vote of approval during the annual meeting on Jan. 25 (details above). Only members of Slow Food USA who have chosen Slow Food Indy as their local chapter will be eligible to vote on the bylaws during the annual meeting. If you are a member, please attend the annual meeting to cast your vote (and get some tasty comfort food!). If you're not a member, come enjoy the comfort food and Terra Madre presentations and please consider joining to take advantage of all the benefits.

Want to have a hands-on role in promoting central Indiana's food culture? Consider joining the Chapter Board of Slow Food Indy! Elections for three board positions will be held during the annual meeting on Jan. 25 (details above). Board members elected in 2009 must be members of Slow Food USA and will serve three year terms. Board members are responsible for attending regular board meetings and Slow Food Indy events. If "good, clean, and fair" food is important to you and you want to help ensure that everyone in central Indiana has the opportunity to learn about and experience truly slow food, then please consider serving on Slow Food Indy's board. To nominate yourself or someone else and for more information, contact us at slowfoodindy@gmail.com

DocNight: Eco-Documentary Series

2009-01-11T12:02:00.001-05:00

The Indianapolis Museum of Art's Tobias Theater presents DocNight: Eco-Documentary Series, a trio of recent documentaries featuring artistic treatments of environmental issues and adventures in green architecture. All films shown in the Indianapolis Museum of Art's Tobias Theater FRIDAYS at 7 pm. Facilitated discussions after each film. For more information, visit http://www.imamuseum.org/toby/cinema

March 13: Garbage Warrior

March 20: Our Daily Bread: "Welcome to the world of industrial food production and high-tech farming! To the rhythm of conveyor belts and immense machines, the film looks without commenting into the places where food is produced in Europe: monumental spaces, surreal landscapes and bizarre sounds - a cool, industrial environment which leaves little space for individualism. People, animals, crops and machines play a supporting role in the logistics of this system which provides our society’s standard of living."

March 27: Manufactured Landscapes

Help Second Helpings

2008-12-11T20:43:00.003-05:00

Below is a request from Second Helpings, a local organization that helps feed the hungry, save the waste, and share the resources. We hope you'll share your resources (volunteer, support, donate!) to help with a critical issue facing Second Helpings this season.

******

I'm Joe Hoog, Director of Food Rescue and Transportation for Second Helpings. Together with three staff drivers (Greg, Leonard and Richard) and 25 volunteers we rescue over 1.7 million pounds of food this year. The donated food is then prepared into nutritious meals. We deliver these meals to 50 other social service agencies in Indianapolis -- hot and ready to eat. Every day, our volunteers deliver 2,900 meals to hungry children and adults within our community!

In addition to our meals, we provide food to many of the food banks, food pantries, churches and agencies within the community (19 at latest count) who also feed hungry people. We need our two large box trucks and six vans to make this happen. Unfortunately, our most important trucks are dying of old age and overuse. In the last month we have struggled to keep them on the road (lots of costly trips to the repair shop). The simple translation is: no trucks, no food. Transportation is essential to what we do!

Our friends often ask how they can help during the holidays, so I am writing to let you know that a wonderful gift you could give this year would be a donation to help purchase a new truck or help underwrite the costs of maintaining or fueling one of our vehicles.

Please help us continue to serve the folks who need it most and allow us to keep feeding the hungry and less fortunate in our community. Thank you and best wishes for a joyous holiday season,

Joe

Food Democrary Now

2008-12-10T09:44:00.005-05:00

In these final days before President Elect Obama makes his selection for Secretary of Agriculture, we urge you to help us spread the word about a petition we can sign to express our support for dynamic and sustainable choices for the post.

Erika Lesser, Slow Food USA Director, and I are on the list of original signers as are several SFUSA board members and leaders around the country. You can find the petition here: http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/. Even if the new administration doesn’t pick one of the listed candidates, signing the petition sends a strong message that we want a good, clean, and fair food system and that we expect our new administration to make choices that support that vision.

We don’t have much time left to get as many signatures as possible, so we hope you’ll take initiative by:

1. forwarding this note to your friends and colleagues, or
2. mentioning it in person at any events in which you're participating in the next 4 days or so.

Check out the SFUSA blog for more info: http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/blog_post/take_action_obama_is_waiting_to_hear_from_you/),
Thank you for helping slow values get represented in the White House in the coming administration.

Regards,
Josh Viertel, President
Slow Food USA
20 Jay Street, Suite M04
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Edible Schoolyards

2008-12-01T16:31:00.002-05:00

Alice Waters will be here tomorrow, December 2nd to discuss edible schoolyards. These are gardens that are planted at schools. These gardens become part of the curriculum for many of the classes. Math classes design the layout and plan what will be planted using geometry and algebra. English classes spend time in the garden reflecting and writing essays. Science classes cook product and talk about the science of cooking. Edible schoolyards are a great tool to get students engaged. And, curriculum can be developed for any age group.
California has led the charge in developing these edible schoolyards. Through Alice Waters efforts the state will soon have a garden in every elementary school. Even here in Indiana several schools have started them.
For more information check out the edible schoolyard website.

Grants for School Garden Projects

Do you have a Slow Food In Schools Project? Do you want to start a Slow Food In Schools Project? We've come across a few funding opportunities for our chapters and project leaders. Fiskars' Project Orange Thumb to Support Garden Programs http://projectorangethumb.com/pot/Deadline: February 17, 2009 Launched in 2003, Fiskars' Project Orange Thumb has awarded grants totaling more than $300,000 to over a hundred community groups, schools, churches, and other organizations for their garden programs. This year, the program will award grants to twenty organizations in the United States and Canada. Each grantee will receive up to $1,500 in Fiskars garden tools and up to $800 in gardening-related materials (i.e. green goods). Gardens and/or gardening projects geared toward community involvement, neighborhood beautification, sustainable agriculture, and/or horticultural education are eligible. Community garden groups as well as schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, and treatment facilities are all encouraged to apply. General Mills Champion for Health Kidshttp://generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/champions.aspxDeadline: January 15, 2009 The General Mills Foundation, in partnership with the American Dietetic Association Foundation and the President's Council on Physical Fitness, developed the Champions for Healthy Kids grant program in 2002. Each year since inception, the General Mills Foundation awards 50 grants of $10,000 each to community-based groups that develop creative ways to help youth adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle.

Pass the winter slowly (and tastefully) with SFI

2008-11-30T18:56:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-22T07:13:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-19T08:40:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-09T19:15:00.007-05:00

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

2008-11-08T10:42:00.003-05:00

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

Markets Creating Communities, Not Just Selling Food

2008-10-29T04:25:00.000-04:00

At Salone del Gusto a panel discussion presented Slow Food’s new Earth Markets initiative, explaining how farmers’ markets could do much more than just bringing producers and consumers in direct contact, but could also create an important community space, building a bridge between rural and urban areas and uniting various social groups. Piero Sardo, President of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, moderated the conference held at 12 pm at Turin’s Lingotto exhibition center. He explained that the “Mercati della Terra,” or Earth Markets, were an international network of farmers’ markets promoted by Slow Food in partnership with the Tuscany Regional Authority and ARSIA, the Tuscan regional agency for the development and innovation of agriculture and forestry. The first markets have already been set up in Italy, Lebanon and Israel, giving producers a place to sell their products at a fair price.The promoter of the first Earth Market, in Montevarchi in Tuscany, Luca Fabbri, described it as a kind of “laboratory” for the project, with the intention being to replicate the model around the world. He emphasized that: “the Earth Markets are not just a tool for selling but also for local development, a social tool where communities can meet.”Next to speak Rami Zurayk, an agriculture professor at the University of Beirut, widened the scope by recounting the experience of setting up three Earth Markets in Lebanon. The markets in Tripoli and Saida are already up and running, while the one in Beirut is scheduled to open next November. “Lebanon imports 70% of its food and government investment in agriculture is less than 1% of the total budget, while 75% of producers are farming less than 3 acres,” he said, outlining some of the problems farmers had in finding a market for their food and receiving a fair remuneration. Zurayk described how in the aftermath of the Israeli bombing of Lebanon in July 2006, the country received an aid package from Italy, some of which was used to rebuild livelihoods. This provided the impetus for setting up the Earth Markets in collaboration with the Tuscan-based non-government organization UCODEP. These markets are important economic multipliers, business incubators, he said, and importantly they also provide meeting places and a neutral space in a strife-riven country. “Not just good, clean and fair, but good, clean, fair and peace,” he said. Maria Grazia Mammuccini, ARSIA administrator, then spoke for Tuscany, emphasizing the role of Earth Markets in promoting biodiversity, seasonal foods, sustainability, equity and transparency. Her organization provides training, information and research to help set up short supply chains, and she said she hoped the alliance with Slow Food would assist them to find appropriate solutions for problems such as how to transform such markets from a weekly or monthly frequency to somewhere consumers can do their everyday shopping. The focus then shifted to Piedmont in Italy’s north, with Mino Taricco, the region’s agriculture councilor, talking about the risk of young people in urban centers losing touch with the seasonality of food and where it comes from. Farmers’ markets are one attempt to redress this, as are educational farms. Piedmont, he said, is in the process of setting up a brand which band together local farmers’ markets, giving them a forum for communication and a guarantee of certification. Executive director Richard McCarthy represented the American NGO Market Umbrella. His organization is working to develop methodologies to measure the success of farmers’ markets, which he said: “are a way to raise financial, human and social capital.” He also mentioned that they were thought of as old-fashioned, but that markets must be seen as mechanisms to bridge relationships. “Markets become much more important than food,” he said. “They can be bridges between the urban and rural and between different social classes.” He described a project to target isolated senior citizens in which they are brought to farmers’ markets where they are able to use their food vouchers, and another to put a surcharge on credit cards to create a pool of money that can be used for innovation and investment. Then it was back to Europe with Jim Turnbull, co-founder of the ADEPT foundation and the first Romanian farmers’ market. He talked the audience through the complicated process of setting up the market in Bucharest, following the Earth Market model. He mentioned some of the difficulties – for example they experienced difficulties on stipulating a maximum distance from which to source producers from, as they had trouble finding enough producers in the whole country. But he also cited successes, such as a cheesemaker who in December 2006 was trying to sell his goats because he couldn’t sell his cheeses, but who was now buying more animals because of his success at the market. Concluding the meeting was Franco Pasquali, the Secretary-General of Coldiretti, an organization that represents 64% of all the farmers in Italy. He said that Italy’s hundreds of thousands of piazzas were a specific regional and social characteristic that assists the farmers’ markets to succeed. “This is a constructive dialog with Slow Food on how to build a piece of the future,” he said, “and how to build important new connections between communities.”

Indiana, The heart of American food

2008-10-27T04:59:00.000-04:00

As I was getting on the bus this morning to go to a conference of developing sustainable menues at Terra Madre I introduced myself to an individual from North Carolina. As soon as I mentioned I was from Indiana she said, "you guys are at the heart of change in this movement." The past couple of days I have heard over and over again how Indiana needs to step up and lead the change of food in the United States.

On Friday night I had dinner with several culinary instructors from all parts of the United States, all of us teach a class around American Regional Cuisines. I asked the group to tell how they desribed each area we were from when they lecture in the class. I was shocked to hear people from California and a large school in upstate New York talk about the Midwest. I have always thought of us Hoosiers as a people that love our meat and potatoes. While they agreed with that, they said our most important contribution was the food we grow. They explained that we said the standard for what is grown and consumed. After a couple hours of discussion on this, they had convinced me that what we grow and how we grow it does set the trends for the rest of the country...and eventually the world.

87% of all produced consumed in the world today is Corn, Wheat or Rice. Throw our Soybeans in there and we gain another couple of percentage points. We have big agro-business doing research, leterally, in our back yards. We really need to make a stement for biodiversity and ask farmers to grow product that we can eat without having health concerns. Our words go directly to people that can listen and make a change.

It is illegal in the state of Peidmont, where we are for Terra Madre, to use GMO's and harsh chemicals. As we drove through the country side the first night I was noticing how the corn stalks looked like they were melting into the ground. One of the Ag Agents from the US that was on the bus explained to me that a normal healthy soil will digest a corn stalk in a month. That the sugars in the corn stalk will feed that soil through the winter. He went on to talk about how in the US it takes about 2 years for corn stalks to be digested by the soils. Because the soils are depleted of bacteria by the use of pesticides. In a health soil the good bateria eat bad, invading bacteria. An example of this would be that in a healthy soil, Dangerous E.coli are eaten by the good bacteria. But, in a soil that has been stripped of good bacteria by pesticides; the E.coli grows and attaches to the vegitables that are growing. So, we end up with lettuce, peppers, etc, that make us sick.

It is time for us "hoosiers" to stand up and tell our leaders that we want Good, Clean and Fair food. All of us in Indiana are leaders, wheather we know it or not. We need to use our voice with emial, and letters to leaders in governement and business. We need to vote with our dollars at the stores and restaurants. We need to vote for a leadership that is for long term health of its people. Instead of short term growth for business. You are the leaders, lead!

Chef Thom England

Open Eyes to Food

2008-10-26T04:39:00.000-04:00

Day 2 at Terre Madre gave delegates time to explore the Salone del Gusto. This is a food show that is adjacent to Terre Madre. This food show is all artisinal foods from many different regions of the world. This is not your ordinary food show. It is in a convention center about the size of 8 city blocks. It is mond boggeling to look into the convention center and see the mixture of cultures all on one room.

I spent the morning with Ragina Mahlick tasting through the items that are in the Presidia. The Presidia is a program in Slow Food that recognizes quality products at risk of extinction, protect unique regions and ecosystems, recovers traditional processing methods, safeguard native breeds and local plant varieties. The Presidia directly involve producers, offering technical assistance to improve production quality, organize exchanges among different countries, provides new market outlets (both locally and internationally). With more than 320 International Presidia, Slow Food protects biodiversity in the whole world: from Rimbas Black Pepper in Malaysia, to Mananara Vanilla in Madagascar. I was struck at the limited amounts of food that we actually eat on a regular basis. Chef Mahlick and I had long talks about how we could start incorporating more diverse products on our foods. To the depth of ordering and using specific types of corn.

In the afternoon and late evening I was able to taste many more of the rest of the items in Salone del Gusto. I think I tasted 30 different forms of cured hams on the level of procuitto. Learning many of the nuances of flavor that can be developed by the breed of the animal and how it is raised. I must have tried a hundred cheeses, learning the delicate balance of cheesemaking. I tried many artisinal chocolate and listed as chocolate makers would describe where the tree was grown, what was growing next to it and why all of that matters. And it tried hundreds of other products, learning in each step about the significants of how things are grown or raised in each step. I realize now how we as Americans are blind to all of these things. We buy our fruits, vegetables and meats in a supermarket blind to any nuance that was greated by the grower. We really do not even know what the breed or species of the products that we buy.

This day opened my eyes of how significant our farmers markets are. How important it is that we cultivate a climate with these markets and CSA that openly talk about where the produce and meats are coming from and how they are grown. And, I think it is imparative that people have the ability to meet the grower and have opportunities to see the farms.

Chef Thom England

Terra Madre opening ceremony

2008-10-25T03:52:00.004-04:00

Thursday evening saw the opening of the 3rd Terra Madre conference in Turin Italy. Indianapolis has 14 delegates in attendance this year. The delegates are representing producers, chefs, students and academics. There are over 7,000 participants and observers from 1,652 food communities of 153 different nationalities in total. 720 delegates are from the United States.

The evening started off with a flow of sponsors giving speaches...but, this is not your normal line of of corporate sponsors. The 7200 delegates are all here as guests of the region. All lodging and meals are paid for by Italian Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; the Piedmont Regional Authority; City of Turin; and Slow Food International. It was obvious that the Italian government feels that the world is in a global food crisis and that they want to be a part of the solution.

Then came a message from Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations. “Finding long-term solutions to the world food crisis is one of the priorities of the United Nations. I welcome initiatives such as yours which contribute to building new partnerships and focus public opinion on small-scale farming.” Read by Carlos Lopes, director of the United Nations.

Alice Waters, led to the stage by the moderator is a round of applause, spoke briefly about the US. She delivered a strong message that we need to join a political fight to assure a better food community; instead of just watching as big business destroys our society. We need to develop a statement by encouraging our capitals to build gardens on the lawns as SanFrancisco did for Slow Food Nation. That we need to be part of a global solution.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, spoke about his views on organic agriculture, biofuels and genetically modified foods. Prince Charles emphasized that the solution to these problems and the current global food shortages “rests largely with the truly sustainable farmer.” Referring to a UN report which argues that tradition and local knowledge form an extensive sphere of knowledge important for reaching sustainability, he said: “All this may, of course, seem far removed from the everyday concerns of small-scale food producers, farmers, cooks and academics, but it is crucial for your voices to be heard in these global debates.”I am enormously encouraged that so many people are today recognizing the benefits of working with nature and harnessing positive forces through healthy soil, healthy crops and healthy animals in order to provide healthy food,” the prince continued.“I can only conclude by expressing nothing but my greatest admiration for all you stand for. You are the guarantors of our long-term food security, based upon your dedicated care of the natural environment,” he concluded.

The highlight of the opening was hearing Vandana Shiva, Slow Food International Vice-President and founder of Navdanya. She is a very impasioned speaker of Good, Clean and Fair food. Vandana is the person that was the highlight of Slow Food Nation as well. Without a doubt people should read and watch more about Vandana and find out more about the research Navdaya is doing in Canada. The thing that hit home for me the most is how US food aid to countries is killing farmers in developing countries.

Other speakers included Tewolde Berhan Gebre-Egziabher, Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency of Ethiopia and UN “Champion of the Earth”; Humberto Oliveira, Secretary of Regional Development of the Ministry for Rural Development of Brazil; and Sam Levin, student at Monument Mountain Regional High School in Massachusetts, USA.

Sam stole the show. This sophmore in high school was added to the end of the program as a representative of the youth movement, a focus of this years Terra Madre. He talked about his journey over the past year. As a freshman in high school he went to the principle and asked if he could develop an edible schoolyard. Through the fall and early winter he made his arguements to school boards, all who were negative to the idea at first. But, he showed his persistence and was allowed to start the program. In 1 year the garden project has been a resounding success with elementary classes learning in the garden and healthy food being used in the caffeterias of the schools. Carlo Patrini, Vanadana Sheeva and Sam Levin were the 3 people that walked off of the stage with standing ovations. Sam is a 16 year old man that led 10,000 people through a journey with his speach. We will see more of him in the future.

Chef Thom England

local Terra Madre blog posts

2008-10-16T19:42:00.002-04:00

Thom England of Ivy Tech will be making some guest posts next week here at the Slow Food Indy blog during his time at Terra Madre in Torino, Italy. For updates from a student's perspective, check out Ivy Tech student and Terra Madre participant Amanda Taylor's blog.

Get on the bus! Slow Food Indy Farm Bus Tour

2008-10-02T19:44:00.007-04:00

Sunday, October 26

10:00am Arrive at Apple Family Farm

Tour the Apple Family Farm, enjoy a picnic lunch and pick your own apples and pumpkins at Anderson Orchard, visit the extensive winter vegetable greenhouses at Yeager Farm, and check out the vines and barrels before sampling some bottles at Buck Creek Winery.

4:45pm Return to the Apple Family Farm

Reservations required and available online!

$15 for Slow Food USA members; $20 for non-members

* Participants are only responsible for their own transportation to and from the Apple Family Farm 3365 W State Rd 234, McCordsville, IN 46055

Brought to you by Indy Sustainable Food Alliance, Politics of Food Book Discussion Group, and Slow Food Indy

Slow Food Indy Farm Bus Tour Stops:

Apple Family Farm
The Apple Family Farm is operated by Mark, Debbie, Brayden and Rhayna Apple, the third and fourth generations to farm this plot in McCordsville, Indiana. Holding to their belief that the future of farming must include a resurgence of the small family farm, the Apples employ an all-natural approach to raising the rare breeds of chickens, sheep, and beef and dairy cows that roam their pastures. “Our goal is to provide the healthiest food for our neighbors while contributing to the health of our community and protecting the health of our environment,” Debbie says. And their products taste good, too!

Anderson Orchard
Bud and Gloria Hopkins grow over eighteen varieties of apples at Anderson Orchard, a plot of land that’s been nourishing fruit trees since the 1930s. Customers can pick their own apples or buy them fresh, preserved, buttered, slushed, or carameled inside the orchard shop. Stop by in the fall to pick your own pumpkins, take a turn in the Corn Maze, and taste the sweet bread and rolls, all fresh-baked on the property.

Yeager Farm Produce
The good folks at Yeager Farms Produce specialize in Asian and Indian vegetables during the summer season and an array of lettuces, spinach, stir fry greens, cooking greens, and root crops during the fall and winter. But no matter the weather, all their produce is chemical free and grown using sustainable farming practices like the extensive set of greenhouses they constructed for year-round harvesting. Check out the farm’s Web site for a sneak preview and delicious recipes for some of their unusual produce.

Buck Creek Winery
Buck Creek Winery is one of Indiana's newest wineries, planting twelve varieties of vines. At their start, Jeff and Kelly Durm sold grapes to other wineries and members of Korean and Amish churches who came to pick the fruit for wine and jelly. After opening the winery in April 2006, their bottles were quick to earn awards. Buck Creek Winery took home 15 medals from the 2008 International Wine Competition.

Harvest 2008 benefits Second Helpings

2008-10-01T11:17:00.009-04:00

Taste over 300 wines from around the world. Huge silent auction. Sample Signature dishes from some of Indy's top chefs and restaurants including:

D'Vine, A Wine Bar
Dunaway's
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar
Ivy Tech Community College
Just 'Cause Catering
Oceanaire Seafood Room
R Bistro
Scholar's Inn
Taste Café and Marketplace
The Melting Pot
Second Helpings
Art Institute of Indianapolis
Buggs Temple

All proceeds benefit Second Helpings' programs to eliminate hunger and empower people in Greater Indianapolis.

7 p.m. - 10 p.m., Friday, Oct 10, Ritz Charles, 12156 N. Merdian Street, Tickets

Purchase your tickets online: $75 Advance purchase ($100 at the door); $30 Designated driver tickets; $25 After party featuring desserts, dessert wines, and ports

Must be 21 to enter.

Picture this! Plum pitting & mead making

2008-09-21T13:46:00.001-04:00

Theresa was among the volunteers who helped pit plums at New Day Meadery yesterday. Checking out her photos may just make you thirsty...for some of Indiana's only native mead, of course!

SFI Event: New Day Meadery Tour & Tasting

2008-09-17T14:36:00.002-04:00

Come visit New Day Meadery, Indiana's only winery that specializes in handcrafted honey wines. Join other lovers of all things local in a guided tasting and tour. Learn about how meadmakers Tia and Brett craft their fine line of meads using only locally sourced fruit and honey, and taste styles both dry and sweet. We look forward to seeing you at the Meadery!

Time & Date: 3–5 pm on Sunday, September 21

Cost: $5/person (21 or over)

Location: New Day Meadery (701 South Anderson Street, Elwood, IN 46036) For directions, visit http://www.newdaymeadery.com/newdaymeadery/page/tasting.jsp

Please RSVP to slowfoodindy@gmail.com

If you're interested in carpooling, please let us know when you rsvp to the email address above.

Hands-on at the Meadery: You can help make plum mead! Tia and Brett of New Day Meadery just found out that they''ll be making plum mead this weekend and they REALLY need volunteers to pit plums on Saturday, September 20, starting Noon and Sunday, September 21, starting at 10 AM.

Like Tia says, "We really don't get much advanced notice when the fruit is ready from our growers. It takes A LOT of manpower to get these little guys pitted."

Contact Tia at tia@newdaymeadery.com if you'd like to volunteer!

Many thanks to all (even Ike!) for the Farm to Table Dinner at the Apple Family Farm

2008-09-17T14:33:00.002-04:00

Neither wind nor rain nor Ike could dissuade the good times and good eats at the Apple Family Farm last weekend. Nearly 100 guests joined five local chefs for a tremendous meal of local ingredients inside the Apple Family Farm's century-old barn. Proceeds from the event will be used to pay the travel expenses of Slow Food Indy's delegates to Terra Madre, hosted every other year by Slow Food in Torino, Italy.

Many thanks to all the folks who cooked, served, cleaned, organized, donated, and--most importantly--ate!
Aaron Butts – Joseph Decuis
Regina Mehallick – R bistro
Greg Hardesty – formerly of Elements
Chris Eley – Goose the Market
Amanda Taylor – Ivy Tech Community College
Thom England – Ivy Tech Community College
The Apple Family of Apple Family Farm
Mass Avenue Wine Shoppe
Slow Food Indy & Ivy Tech volunteers
Lots of local producers including Balanced Harvest Farm, Walnut Grove Spring Water, Apple Family Farm, and Good Life Farms
...and all our guests.

If you'd like to share your pictures of the event, please add them to the Slow Food Indy flickr group.

Sept. 14 Farm to Table Dinner at the Apple Family Farm: A few spots at the table are still left!

2008-09-10T19:54:00.002-04:00

Just a few spots at the table are still left for the Sunday, September 14, Farm to Table Dinner at the Apple Family Farm. Reservations are required -- save your spot today!

The menu below may make your mouth water, but it will also help send Slow Food Indy's delegates to Terra Madre this October. For more info on Terra Madre and the central Indiana farmers, chefs, students, and teachers attending the event in Torino, Italy, check out previous blog posts here.

(For alternative food requests contact Chef Thom England at chefthome2000@yahoo.com)

Crispy Gunthorp Farm Pork Belly, Kim chi Pancake, White Miso Caramel, Kumquat

Aaron Butts – Joseph Decuis

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup with Fromage Blanc and Indiana Caviar

Regina Mehallick – R bistro

Spanish Tortilla featuring local free range eggs with Smokey Indiana Sweet Corn Salsa

Greg Hardesty - formerly of Elements

Roasted Lamb Stuffed with Lamb

Blackberry-Persimmon Gastrique, Fennel Pesto

Sweet potato, chestnut honey, preserved lemon,

Beluga lentils, Swiss chard, country ham, ricotta cheese

Celeriac, gala apples, sweet onion, smoked almonds

Chris Eley – Goose the Market

Jonathon apple cake with spiced apple chutney, rum crème anglaise sauce

Amanda Taylor –Ivy Tech Community College

Wines will be sold at a nominal cost from a bar supplied by Mass Ave Wine Shoppe.

Eating local and green featured at indy.com

2008-09-10T18:07:00.002-04:00

Check out Fed up with mass-produced food, more young urbanites decide to hit the dirt from indy.com on 3 September 2008 to read and watch video about eating local and green in central Indiana.

Slow Food Congress

2008-08-29T01:02:00.005-04:00

300 leaders from around the United States converged on San Francisco today to discuss the future of Slow Food USA. As one might expect the day started out with people talking about the anniversary of Martin Luther King JR.'s I have a Dream speech. Now matter who you are or where you live, I think that the thought of that speech delivers vivid pictures to your cortex. On August 28th, 1963 Dr. King had just finished giving a speech. The next person on the stage was a musician. She asked Dr. King, "What is your Dream?" He responded, without forethought. It is all history after that. Today, a black man accepted the nomination as a candidate of the United States of America. Nothing could ever top this as the definition of America. I am proud as an American today.

On the food front we have many celebrations to look forward to. The feelings of all the leaders of Slow Food in one room was electrifying. Josh Viertel stepped to the microphone. He was announced as the new President of Slow Food USA last night. He magnetized the electorate with his speech of what food culture should be. Talking of a movement of seeing, touching, and analysing. Too often a society will look at food one or 2 of the ways, but, seldom all 3. It is important to look at food in the total package. Using all of your senses and reflecting on it. He seems to be a wonderful visionary, and, I am looking forward to where Slow Food USA will go under his direction.

The leaders approved a new vision for Slow Food USA today. We saw a new slowfoodusa.org so live. We have all new brochures that were released. It is a very exciting time for the organization and where we are going. Not the least of which is with political activism.

We were lucky enough to take part in the release and signing of the "declaration for healthy food and agriculture" This document will go through a 90 day review period before heading across the USA to be taken to congress. This is a fascinating document that was developed by a non-partisan group of people that believe in slow food's principles of Good, Clean and Fair food.

I look forward to the next several days at Slow Food Nation and the next several years with Slow Food USA.

Chef Thom England

SFI Event: Slow Flow, Slow Food Night

2008-08-28T20:25:00.010-04:00

Invoke Studio's Laura Henderson, Slow Food Indy, and Goose the Market invite you to Slow Flow, Slow Food Night

September 5 @ Invoke Studio

5:30-6:45 p.m. Slow Flow Class: Throughout this yoga + core work practice, participants will learn the benefits of slowing down our practice, our lives, and especially our approach to food and eating.
7-8 p.m. Go Local, Go Slow Dinner & Discussion: Stay after class or join us at 7 p.m. Several notable growers and producers from the Indianapolis Slow Food movement will share with us the philosophy of Slow Food, and tips for bringing the pleasure of a Slow Food lifestyle to your table and way of life!
Go Local and enjoy a Slow Food dinner from Goose the Market: Pre-order by emailing leahpilates@gmail.com by September 2nd and taste the local, slow food difference! The picnic-style, box dinners will include a gourmet sandwich, succulent sides, and a decadent dessert. The meal will highlight locally grown goods raised and prepared the Slow way. (Vegetarian or vegan requests may be made with your meal order, otherwise your sandwich will be meat-based.)

Contact Laura Henderson at leahpilates@gmail.com or call Invoke Studio at 317.631.9642 for pricing, registration, and more information.

Farm to Table Dinner Update

2008-08-28T20:19:00.002-04:00

Many thanks to all the folks who helped fill and clean the plates at R Bistro's two Farm to Table dinners last week. Proceeds from the dinners will help pay for the travel expenses of Slow Food Indy's delegates to Terra Madre in Torino, Italy, this fall. Chef Regina Mehallic of R Bistro is among Slow Food Indy's delegates headed to Terra Madre, and we're grateful for the generous support of Chef Mehallic, her staff, and all the patrons who feasted for the cause. (Local treats on the menu included a whole roasted goat!)

More Farm to Table Dinners are in the works!

On September 1, Chef Neal Brown will be doing a Farm to Table Dinner at L'Exploreteur in conjunction with Eat Local Week. Contact L'explorateur for more info and to make reservations.

On September 14, several local chefs will each prepare one course for this dinner at the Apple Family Farm in McCordsville, Indiana. Chefs include Regina Mehallick, Greg Hardesty, Chris Eley, Aaron Butts, and Thom England. Farm tour to start at 4pm and dinner at 5pm. Reservations are required.

Joseph Decuis will host a Farm to Fork OktoberFest Harvest Dinner at Heritage Farm in October that features the glories of the fall including a hay ride, bonfire, live music and delicious food, wine and beer. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food Indy's fund to help pay the travel expenses of central Indiana delegates headed to Terra Madre, including Joseph Decuis chef Aaron Butts. Contact the restaurant for date, time, price, and more details.

The Goose's Farm to Table Dinner in Review

2008-08-10T12:23:00.000-04:00

This sun was shining, the fields were green, and the lamb was in the box.

The Goose shared a delicious meal of local ingredients at Good Life Farms on Sunday, August 3rd.

Many thanks are due to all the folks who helped fill (and empty) the plates:

Luscious Indiana products and hard work supplied by:
Good Life Farms
Stouts Melody Acres
Homestead Growers
New Day Meadery
Brugge Brewery
Viking Lamb
Gunthorp Farms
Swiss Connection

Darin, Deb, and their family who generously hosted the event and led a tour of their farm.

All of you who pulled up a seat at the table in support of central Indiana producers, educators, and chefs headed to Torino, Italy, this fall for Terra Madre.

Check out the Slow Food Indy flickr group and the Goose the Market flickr group often as folks who attended the event are welcome to post pictures!

Still hungry? Miss the farm? Make your reservation for the September 14 Farm to Table Dinner at the Apple Family Farm in McCordsville, Indiana. Local chefs like Regina Mehallick, Greg Hardesty, Aaron Butts, Thom England, and Chris Eley will each prepare one course.

Chateau Thomas Farm to Table Dinner

2008-08-01T11:04:00.000-04:00

A fabulous dinner was enjoyed Thursday night at Chateau Thomas Winery. The Garde manger class from Ivy Tech Community College prepared an amazing hors d'oeuvres buffet in the barrel room. Followed by a 5 course dinner with wine pairings in the Vineyard Room. The most wonderful thing is that the only items not from Indiana were salt, pepper and coffee. Several of the producers were on hand to enjoy the dinner at to talk with everyone about there farms. Pictures.

Don't miss other upcoming Farm to table dinners:

To help Slow Food Indy's Terra Madre delegates with the cost of travel to Italy, SFI is grateful to partner with Hoosier restaurants and producers for a series of Farm to Table dinners this summer. By raising enough money for 14 round-trip tickets to Italy, these Indiana producers, chefs, and educators will have the chance to learn about sustainable food practices with others from across the globe. They'll return to the Hoosier state with the experiences and ideas to make Indiana's local food culture stronger and better. Hope to see you at the table! (For more info on Terra Madre, visit http://www.terramadre2006.org/

August 3: Chef Chris Eley of Goose the Market at Good Life Farms. The menu, cost, and more are posted at http://www.goosethemarket.com/news.htm; Reservations are required. FULL -- please call 317.924.4944 to be added to the waiting list.

August 19: Chef Regina Mehallick of R Bistro; This dinner is only $50.00. Limited seating is available. contact the restaurant for more information and to make reservations (http://www.rbistro.com/).

September 14: Each local chef will prepare one course for this dinner at the Apple Family Farm in McCordsville, Indiana. Chefs preparing this meal include Ragina Mahallick, Greg Hardesty, Chris Eley, Aaron Butts, Thom England, and Thom England. Farm tour to start at 4. Dinner at 5. purchase tickets. Menu to be finalized in the coming days.

Early October: Chef Aaron Butts of Joseph Decuis in Fort Wayne, Indiana; contact the restaurant for more information and to make reservations (http://www.josephdecuis.com/home.php).

This Fall: Chef Neal Brown of L'explorateur; contact the restaurant for more information and to make reservations (http://www.dinelex.com/)

Field to Fork Dinner to benefit Terra Haute's Terre Foods Co-op Market

2008-07-28T07:30:00.000-04:00

Field to Fork Dinner at Buttonwoods at The Sycamore Farm
August 9th, 2008, 6:30pm

An "Ethicurean celebration of local foods," the Field to Fork dinner will feature a five-course dinner with wine pairings created by chef Chris Kraut, all highlighting local and seasonal foods provided by our own farming community. Weather permitting, the dinner will be held outside and under the stars; there will be cocktails, live music and special guests. Terre Foods will be hosting a Silent Auction in conjunction with the Field to Fork event.

Tickets are $75 per person; seating is limited, so contact The Sycamore Farms soon to make reservations: 812-877-9288. A portion of the proceeds of the dinner, and all proceeds from the Auction, will go to the Terre Foods Cooperative Market of Terra Haute, Indiana.

Farm to Table Dinners - new chefs & restaurants come to the table!

2008-07-24T10:09:00.000-04:00

July 31: Chef Thom England and Ivy Tech culinary students at Chateau Thomas Winery; call 317-837-WINE (9463) for reservations. For the complete menu, visit http://slowfoodindy.blogspot.com/2008/07/menu-for-ivy-tech-dinner-at-chateau.html STILL SPOTS LEFT -- CALL TODAY! 317-837-WINE (9463)

August 3: Chef Chris Eley of Goose the Market at Good Life Farms. The menu, cost, and more are posted at http://www.goosethemarket.com/news.htm; Reservations are required. FULL -- please call 317.924.4944 to be added to the waiting list.

August 19: Chef Regina Mehallick of R Bistro; contact the restaurant for more information and to make reservations (http://www.rbistro.com/).

September 14: Each local chef will prepare one course for this dinner at the Apple Family Farm in McCordsville, Indiana. Save the date and look for more information soon.

Early October: Chef Aaron Butts of Joseph Decuis in Fort Wayne, Indiana; contact the restaurant for more information and to make reservations (http://www.josephdecuis.com/home.php).

This Fall: Chef Neal Brown of L'explorateur; contact the restaurant for more information and to make reservations (http://www.dinelex.com/)

L'explorateur Farm to Table Dinner Date TBA

2008-07-16T11:29:00.000-04:00

Chef Neal Brown presents a Farm to Table dinner benefiting Slow Food Indy's Terra Madre delegates at his restaurant, L'Explorateur in the near future. Contact the restaurant for more information on the menu and to make reservations.

2008 Indiana Farm Tour

2008-07-16T11:26:00.000-04:00

2008 Indiana Farm Tour
Organic Production & Processing -- Transitioning to Organics

When: Thursday, July 24th, 2008, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm Local Time

Where:
Langeland Farms (Greensburg, IN) and Michaela Farms (Oldenburg, IN)

Information: The day encompasses a producer that’s been in organic production for more than seven years and a producer that is trying to become certified. This tour will be especially beneficial to those who are just getting started in organic production or those that are thinking about making the transition.

RSVP: Each tour is $15 per person, which includes lunch, refreshments and materials. To register, please call Purdue Conferences at 1-800-359-2968. Producers and others may also register on line at: http://www.conf.purdue.edu/farmtours

Farm to Table Dinner Menu: Goose the Market, August 3rd

2008-07-16T11:11:00.000-04:00

The Goose is all about bringing the good eats of Indiana to the corner of 25th & Delaware. But for one special evening this summer, you're invited to follow the Goose to the source of the goods.

On Sunday, August 3rd, Chef Chris Eley and Goose the Market will present a Farm to Table Dinner on site at Good Life Farms.

Served on the farm in Eminence, Indiana (just 30 miles west of Indy), the $65/person menu features a tasting of cured hams, the bounty of Hoosier summer produce, "Viking lamb in a box," dessert, and beer, wine, and cocktail pairings. Check it out below or avoid drooling on your computer screen with this printable menu.

Seating is limited and reservations are required; please call us at 317.924.4944 to save your spot at the table on the farm.

Farm to Table Dinner at Good Life Farms
Prepared by Goose the Market
Proceeds will be donated toward the travel expenses

of Slow Food Indy's delegates to Terra Madre.

First
La Quercia Rossa Culatello 1 year & Honeydew fizz
Col. Bill Newsom 2 Year Cantaloupe roll up
Benton’s Country Ham 14 month Plum preserves
Country Lomo 60 days Tomato confit

Second
Roasted eggplant, squash blossoms, garlic, lemon, white anchovies
Smoked pork tongue, peaches, spiced pecans, white balsamic, field greens
Rabbit terrine, pickled watermelon rind, blackberry mostarda

Third
Viking Lamb in a Box
Duck, apple and acorn squash sausage
Salsa verde
Mint-melon relish

Crispy new potato, Calabrian chile, herb fine
Polenta, Pazia, oyster mushrooms
Cauliflower, cuitlacoche, leeks
Roasted carrots and celeriac
Sweet corn panna cotta

Fourth
Sweet cream bourbon pie, pecan crust, macerated stone fruit

Luscious Indiana produce, goods, animals, and hard work supplied by:
Good Life Farms - Stouts Melody Acres

Homestead Growers - New Day Meadery - Brugge Brewery

Viking Lamb - Gunthorp Farms - Swiss Connection

Disclaimer - Given Indiana’s unpredictable weather, product availability is subject to change. Consequently, this menu may be altered without notice. Don’t worry…it will only get better.

Menu for Ivy Tech dinner at Chateau Thomas, July 31

2008-07-16T11:04:00.000-04:00

Chef Thom England and Ivy Tech culinary students present a Farm to Table dinner at Chateau Thomas Winery on July 31st to benefit travel expenses to Torino, Italy, for Slow Food Indy's delegates to Terra Madre.

To make reservations for the dinner, call 317-837-WINE (9463).

Amuse
Seafood Sausage and Molasses Cured Bacon
La Ina Sherry (Fino) by Domecq

Soup
Pinot Noir and Cherry Soup with Indiana Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms
2003 Pinot Noir, Pamona, Chateau Thomas Winery, Carneros, CA

Salad
Tomato Salad with Local Cheeses
2006 Zinfandel, Chateau Thomas Winery, Lodi, CA

Intermezzo

Entrée
Seared Duck Breast and Apricot Duck Sausage with Sautéed Red Cabbage and Apples, Quinoa Corn Fritters
2007 Dry Riesling, Chateau Thomas Winery, Yakima, WA

Dessert
Peach Tartlettes and house-made Ice cream
2007 Vidal Ice Wine

Pictures from 38th & Meridian Farmers Market Iron Chef Event

2008-07-16T10:41:00.000-04:00

Last week, Ivy Tech culinary students shopped, chopped, sautéed, and plated for the title of Iron Chef at the 38th & Meridian Farmers Market.

Check out photos of the event and the market taken by their instructor, Chef Thom England.

Bloomington Local Growers' Guild events

2008-07-16T10:37:00.000-04:00

The (Bloomington) Local Growers' Guild is sponsoring a Dine Local Night on Thursday, July 24th. Twelve restaurants and delis will be creating wonderful meals made from locally grown ingredients to highlight their support of local growers. Diners are encouraged to visit any of these restaurants for lunch or dinner and ask for the "local special."

Bloomingfoods Market and Deli
Farm Bloomington
Finch's
Laughing Planet
Lennie's
Limestone Grille
Nick's English Hut
Restaurant Tallent
Roots on the Square
Sahara Mart
Upland Brewing Company
Lost River Market and Deli (in Paoli)

Also, on Sunday, August 10th, the Local Growers' Guild will hold its Annual Meeting at Schacht Farm on the south side of Bloomington. Anyone with an interest in local food is welcome to join us at 4:00 for a potluck dinner (drinks provided), a tour of the farm, great conversation, and avery brief business meeting. It's a great time to talk with growers, retailers, and foodies who are all excited about locally grown food. All are welcome! Please bring a dish to share and a chair to sit in. This is an outdoor event so if the weather looks bad, please contact Maggie Sullivan at 812-345-1592 to check in. Directions and further details areavailable at http://www.localgrowers.org/assets/files/annual-meeting-2008.pdf

Iron Chef Hoosier-Style

2008-07-08T18:20:00.000-04:00

The Ivy Tech culinary students will step out of the test kitchen to earn street cred (well, parking lot cred, anyway) this Thursday, July 10, at 5:30pm, as they battle for the title of Iron Chef at the 38th & Meridian Farmers Market.

Using fresh ingredients available at the market, the student chefs will create cold hors d'oeuvres to be judged by a panel.

Treeboy & Todd: WRTV visits Balanced Harvest Farm

2008-06-29T08:02:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week, WTHR's Tim "Treeboy" Bush visited Balanced Harvest Farm to learn about all-natural farming and consumer supporter agriculture (or CSA).
Check out the video "Treeboy: Organic Farming."

Balanced Harvest Farm in Carmel, Indiana, is tilled by Kathleen & Todd Jameson, members of Slow Food Indy's leadership team. Check out the Web site to learn more about their farm and get some great recipes for all the produce that's in season now!

The rains came down and the floods came up...but there's help on the horizon

2008-06-22T08:39:00.001-04:00

To help the Midwest farmers and food producers who have suffered such devastating effects from the recent rain and storms, Slow Food USA will use donations to the the Terra Madre Relief Fund.

Like Slow Food USA Board Member Kurt Fries said, "We intend to help get these farmers back to the markets, and get those markets back up and running." Please consider making a donation!

Fifth Annual Slow Food Bloomington Chefs Dinner

2008-06-20T10:44:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder – the Fifth Annual Slow Food Bloomington Chefs Dinner is coming up on Sunday, June 22 at 5:30 pm at the Bloomington Convention Center. Dinner is seven delicious courses of local ingredients prepared by the area’s best chefs, with wine pairings and great music. Tickets are $100 per person ($40 of which is tax deductible) and they are available at Bloomingfoods East and West. If you are out of town and need to purchase tickets at the door, contact Barbour, D. Christine at barbour@indiana.edu to reserve tickets with a credit card number.

Participating Chefs are:

Tad DeLay, Limestone Grille

Jeff Finch, Finch’s (formerly Trulli Flatbread)

David Fletcher, BLU Boy Café and Cakery

Greg Hardesty, Elements (Indianapolis)

Regina Mehallick, R bistro (Indianapolis)

Daniel Orr, FARMbloomington,

Rags Rago, Nick’s

Alan Simmerman, Bloomingfoods

Dave Tallent, Restaurant Tallent

Hope to see you there!!!!

Homegrown Indiana Tour Will Visit Local Farms

2008-06-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

Only 20 spots are left -- reserve your spot today!

The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, in collaboration with Slow Food Bloomington, the Local Growers’ Guild and Bloomingfoods Market and Deli, presents the first Homegrown Indiana Farm Tour on Sunday, July 13, 2008.

The Farm Tour will visit two southern Indiana farmers who sell their produce at the City of Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market. Gypsy Ridge Farm in Washington County specializes in a variety of vegetable crops, including zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, sweet corn, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries and peaches. Sun Circle Farm in Paoli, specializing in fall and winter storage crops, is a mixed-power farm emphasizing Belgian draft horse and hand tool use for tillage, cultivation, maintenance and harvest.

The Tour also will make a stop at the Lost River co-op and the Lazy Black Bear in Paoli. Guest chefs Gregg “Rags” Rago of Nick’s English Hut and Jeff Finch from Finch’s will prepare the evening meal featuring produce from the Gypsy Ridge Farm and Sun Circle Farm as well as other local farms.

“The tour will provide an opportunity to connect with growers who sell at the Farmers’ Market,” said Marcia Veldman, Farmers’ Market Coordinator. “Knowing where our food comes from and how it is produced is important. Getting to know the people who produce it is important too. The Homegrown Indiana Farm Tour will help participants understand the lives of some of those who make the Market the special event that it is, while having a good time and learning more about our home-grown food system.”

Registration fee for the Homegrown Indiana Farm Tour is $25 per person. Pre-registration is required by July 7. The Tour bus departs from City Hall at 401 N. Morton St. at 1 p.m. and will return at 9 p.m.

For more information about the Homegrown Indiana Farm Tour, contact Veldman at 349-3738 or via e-mail at veldmanm@bloomington.in.gov or visit the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Web site at www.bloomington.in.gov/parks and click on the Farmers’ Market icon.

Farm to Table dinners to benefit Slow Food Indy delegates to Terra Madre

2008-06-17T06:01:00.000-04:00

To help the Terra Madre delegates from Slow Food Indy with the expenses of traveling to Torino, Slow Food Indy is pleased to partner with local chefs and restaurants in a series of Farm to Table dinners. Look for more details to be posted soon and contact slowfoodindy@gmail.com to sign up for email updates on upcoming events.

July 14: Chef Neal Brown presents a Farm to Table dinner at his restaurant, L'Explorateur: Look for more info soon!

July 31: Chef Thom England and Ivy Tech culinary students present a Farm to Table dinner at Chateau Thomas Winery. To make reservations, call 317-837-WINE (9463).

August 3: Chef Chris Eley of Goose the Market presents a Farm to Table dinner at Good Life Farms: Look for more info soon!

June 29 Event: Hobbit Gardens Tour

2008-06-17T04:35:00.000-04:00

Be sure to save the date for Slow Food Indy's next event. Constance Ferry--a veritable expert on edible and medicinal plants, both cultivated and wild--will lead a grazing tour through her Hobbit Gardens. Constance has been producing organically in Indiana since before "capital O" Organic and leads an engaging tour based on many seasons of hands-on experience. See you soon!

What: Guided Tour & Picnic at Hobbit Gardens When: Sunday, June 29, 3PM

Where: 6213 East C.R. 300 North in Fillmore, Indiana, (about 30 miles west of Indy); for directions and more, check out http://hobbitgardens.hendrickscountyconnection.com/ Those interested in carpooling should contact slowfoodindy@gmail.com.

Cost for the Tour: $5/person for Slow Food USA members; $10/person for non-members; proceeds benefit Hobbit Gardens and Slow Food Indy

RSVP for the Tour: slowfoodindy@gmail.com by Monday, June 23

Food: Herb tea--fresh from Constance's gardens--will be served. Attendees may bring their own picnic or reserve a meal from Goose the Market (www.goosethemarket.com) for $15 each. The meals include a house-smoked chicken sandwich with all-natural, free-range chicken from Gunthorp Farm in Lagrange, Indiana, and the "billion dollar brownie" among other goodies. Vegetarian meals are also available, just let us know when you reserve your meal.

What to bring: Don't forget your picnic blankets and lawn chairs!

Terra Madre Delegates announced: Hoosiers head to Italy!

2008-06-17T04:26:00.000-04:00

Every two years, Slow Food hosts Terra Madre, a conference in Torino, Italy, that provides a way for sustainable food producers and farmers to connect and share their practices with others from across the globe.

This fall, more than 20 Hoosiers are headed to bell'Italia for Terra Madre. They include...

Food Producers:
Teresa A. Birtles, Bedford
Jeff Mease, Bloomington
Marcia Veldman, Bloomington
Susan Welsand, Bloomington
Daniel and Melissa Fagerstrom, LaPorte
Debbie Apple, McCordsville
Monique Armstrong, Muncie
Rebekah Fiedler, Rome
Linda Chapman, Spencer

Cooks:
Greg Hardesty, Indianapolis
Neal Brown, Indianapolis
Regina Mehallick, Indianapolis
Aaron K Butts, Fort Wayne
Chris Eley, Indianapolis
Brian Guntz, Indianapolis

Students/Youth:
Amanda C. Taylor, Greenfield
Sara Whitmer, Bloomington
Sarah Almuhairi, Bloomington

Educators:
Thom England, Indianapolis
Eugenia (Genie) Scott, Indianapolis

Taste of Spring: A review of SFI's June 1st event

2008-06-17T04:08:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to host the Slow Food Indy meeting at the Ivy Tech Hospitality And Culinary Arts (ITHACA) Program on Sunday. It was wonderful to see two rooms full of people who came to taste...lettuce.

As people start to realize where their food comes from, many have gone back to making it a game to find the best farmer with specific produce. It thrills me to go and try the same thing from several different farms and find that there is a vast difference. Things that may not seem like an important part of the meal truly change when you start to analyze them.

It was absolutely mind boggling when I tried the greens from Balanced Harvest and compared them to Organic products from a grocery store and even conventional greens. Balanced Harvest smelled like lettuce. You may think that's not saying much, but have you smelled the lettuce in the store lately?

Other tasters were making comments like “makes me think of mowing the lawn on a summer day” and “smells like spring.” It really made me think. Restaurants put tons of dressing on salads because that lettuce doesn’t taste like anything. We should make dressing to accent the nuance of the greens.

It is wonderful finding out what Central Indiana tastes like.
- Thom England
(photos by Corrie Quinn)

A sign of the times?

2008-06-03T08:25:00.001-04:00

During Memorial Day weekend, we drove through this small town in southern Indiana and couldn't help but wonder if the lettering was a sign of the times?