Archive for July, 2009
Local, Slow Food Calgary
Never Can Alone
Never Can Alone
Saturday August 22 - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Site:The Cookbook Co. Cooks, 722-11 Ave. SW
Details: Instructor Val Andrews shares her knowledge and serves up a taste of yesterday in this how-to preserving workshop. This hands-on opportunity showcases the attention to detail, solid science and romance that are required to safely preserve the local harvest. With Mother Nature’s cooperation, we hope to process beets, tomatoes and peaches on this day of canning, like grandma used to do. Take home a sampling of what you learn. Limited to 15 participants.
Tickets: Members, $80 / Not-yet-members, $90 – Call The Cookbook Co. Cooks @403-265-6066
*Ticket price includes the cost of canning supplies, lunch and wine.
Slow Food Calgary
Directions to Terra Madre Chefs’ Picnic @ Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm
DIRECTIONS:
Northbound…
Take the Crossfield/Carstairs/Acme Exit (do not take the Carstairs/Crossfield exit). There is a small brown sign saying PaSu Sheep Farm just before the big green sign.Turn left at the end of the off ramp to go West.Turn right (North) onto HWY 2A past the grain elevator.Turn left (West) onto 580 and go 5.8 km. There is another PaSu Sheep Sign. You will pass a big red barn on the right, just past the hill. After that, slow right down as the Vester farm is on the left. Look for the little blue sign saying VESTER. It’s a tree-lined driveway.
Southbound…
Take the Carstairs exit and head West.Continue West, passing the school until you get to the big 4-way stop.Go straight at the 4-way. Turn left (South) at the next 4-way stop by the Esso. Continue on this road all the way to HWY 580 (there is a 3-way stop in-between), which will be a right hand turn. There is a brown PaSu Sheep sign as well. Go 5.8 km.You will pass a red barn on the right, just past the hill. After that, slow right down as the Vester farm is on the left. Look for the little blue sign saying VESTER. It’s a tree-lined driveway.
For a map of the scenic route to the Vester Farm, click here: Scenic Route
Slow Food Calgary
Slow Food Calgary’s 8th Annual Feast of Fields
For Immediate Release
July 15, 2009 (Calgary) – Slow Food Calgary in conjunction with Rouge restaurant is pleased to present the 8th Annual Feast of Fields on September 13, 2009. This celebration of Alberta’s harvest features 20 of Calgary’s best chefs in partnership with over 50 local producers. Rouge restaurant plays host in its historic garden and jazz music by Simply Sinatra sets the mood.
Feast of Fields 8 launches a new guidebook for consumers. The Snail is the symbol of Slow Food International; the new guidebook is called “The Snail Trail” as it leads consumers to local producers, chefs, caterers and restaurants recognized by Slow Food Calgary for their use of “good, clean and fair” locally produced goods.
Slow Food Calgary is partnering with The Delta Bow Valley Hotel, Acquired Tastes Food Tours and Foodsmith Inc. to provide an unique culinary tourism package for the weekend of September 12 & 13. The Delta Bow Valley’s package includes a $50.00 meal voucher toward a “Farmer’s Market” menu, 2 nights’ deluxe accommodation for two, free parking and 2 tickets to Feast of Fields. On Saturday September 12, Acquired Tastes Food Tours offers a walking tour of Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood, “Inglewood Edible Enticements”, emphasizing businesses that support local products. Foodsmith Inc. hosts a rural bus tour, “The Flavours of the Foothills”, on September 12.Feast of Fields focuses this year’s educational component on “The Fate of Bees” – Colony Collapse Disorder and what everyone can do to help to stabilize the bee population.
Slow Food Calgary’s 8th Annual Feast of Fields
Sunday, September 13, 2009: 1 – 4 pm
Rouge Restaurant, 1240 – 8 Ave SE, in the garden. Rain or Shine.
Members: Adults $55; Youth (8-18) $15; Family of 4- $135; Kids under 8 – free
Not yet members: Adults $70; Youth (8-18) $30; Family of 4- $160; Kids under 8 – free
Tickets at The Cookbook Co. Cooks: 722 – 11 Ave SW / 403-265-6066
Feast of Fields Contacts:
Karen Anderson, 2009 Feast of Fields Coordinator (403) 968-2783; karenj.anderson@shaw.ca
Tour Bookings:
Delta Bow Valley Hotel: www.deltabowvalley.com OR 1-800-665-8571
Acquired Tastes Food Tours:
www.calgaryfoodtours.com OR (403) 968-2783
Foodsmith Inc: Flavours of the Foothills Bus Tour:
Tickets at the Cookbook Co. Cooks (403) 265-6066
In Partnership with Travel Alberta
Slow Food Calgary
Support Alberta Pork Producers
ATTENTION!
Alberta Pork is staging a public rally on Friday July 9, 2009 at 11:30 am to 1 pm at the McDougall Centre – 455-6 St. SW, Calgary.
The purpose is to gather support for the beleaguered Alberta pork industry and to inform the public of the relevant facts and issues.
Slow Food Calgary president and local foods advocate dee Hobsbawn-Smith will be speaking about some of the issues and the relevance of pork in Alberta.Please attend.
Please notify your friends and colleagues. Supporting local food and local food producers means we all eat better.
Slow Food Calgary
Kris Vester of Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm gets his ardent words in print
Last winter, Slow Food Calgary Planning Committee member and biodynamic farmer, Kris Vester, talked to a Local 101 gathering at Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Hall about what he faces as a producer and farmers’ market vendor. He stressed what needs to change in our food system if running a small, sustainable farm is to become a viable pursuit for young farmers.
Vester’s thoughtful and passionate speech has been printed in the latest issue of Albert Views magazine. It is entitled: Know Your Grower. The magazine may be accessed on-line (click on the speech title above ). A subscription is required to read the articles. Alberta Views was just awarded “Magazine of the Year” at the National Magazine Awards. The current issue devotes plenty of pages to a lengthy list of Alberta farmers’ markets.
To read Vester’s speech without subscribing to Alberta Views, click here.
Community, Local, Slow Food Calgary
Gardeners’ Forum on locally grown food – from your back yard to the local farm
On Sunday July 19th, Slow Food Calgary convivum leader dee Hobsbawn-Smith, local gardening gurus Barb Hazenveld and Penny Marshall, and chef and local food advocate Wade Sirois will lead the Gardeners’ Forum that kicks-off Hort Week at Olds College.
This panel of professional locavores will share knowledge and experience of locally grown food – growing it first-hand, buying it, finding it, keeping it and loving it.
This fabulous first day of Hort Week includes an afternoon of speakers, dinner in the beautiful Olds College Botanic Garden, an evening panel discussion on the challenges and benefits of local food and, finally, tea and dessert in the garden.
Cost to attend: $60 (inclusive)
For more information (including how to reserve tickets): www.oldscollege.ca/hortweek
Slow Food Calgary
Terra Madre Chefs’ Picnic @ Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm
Sunday July 26 - 2 to 5 pm
Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm in Carstairs
- Join Alberta’s Terra Madre chefs as they dish up some down-home picnic fare at this alfresco afternoon party. To keep environmental impact to a minimum, please bring your own hat, sunscreen, chairs, blanket, plates, cutlery, and your favourite dancing shoes for jitterbugging to live music. This is a family-friendly event. Rain or shine.
Price: Members, $40, family of 4, $100: Not-yet-members, $50, family, $120
DIRECTIONS:
Northbound…
Take the Crossfield/Carstairs/Acme Exit (do not take the Carstairs/Crossfield exit). There is a small brown sign saying PaSu Sheep Farm just before the big green sign.Turn left at the end of the off ramp to go West.Turn right (North) onto HWY 2A past the grain elevator.Turn left (West) onto 580 and go 5.8 km. There is another PaSu Sheep Sign. You will pass a big red barn on the right, just past the hill. After that, slow right down as the Vester farm is on the left. Look for the little blue sign saying VESTER. It’s a tree-lined driveway.
Southbound
Take the Carstairs exit and head West.Continue West, passing the school until you get to the big 4-way stop.Go straight at the 4-way. Turn left (South) at the next 4-way stop by the Esso. Continue on this road all the way to HWY 580 (there is a 3-way stop in-between), which will be a right hand turn. There is a brown PaSu Sheep sign as well. Go 5.8 km.You will pass a red barn on the right, just past the hill. After that, slow right down as the Vester farm is on the left. Look for the little blue sign saying VESTER. It’s a tree-lined driveway.
For a map of the scenic route to the Vester Farm, click here: Scenic Route