Slow Food Calgary

And the nominees are…

Tonya Lailey — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:47:42 +0000

It’s time to submit nominations for Terra Madre 2010!

21 Oct 10 – 25 Oct 10
TERRA MADRE world meeting of food communities
Italy, Turin

Terra Madre is Slow Food’s project to build an international network of food communities, including food producers, cooks, educators, and youth, working to establish a system of good, clean and fair food production. Since 2004, thousands of representatives of these communties come together in Turin, Italy every two years in an international meeting.

www.terramadre.org

WHO to NOMINATE ?

Southern Alberta Farmers…
• who have not been to Terra Madre
• who practice good, clean and fair farming without chemical inputs
• who would like to do more toward making their farm practices sustainable
• who would like to do more toward growing and distributing good food in clean and fair ways
• the cultivation or interest in same of heritage/heirloom varieties will be considered

Southern Alberta Youth Farmers…
• same criteria as above only candidates must be younger than 35

Southern Alberta Cooks…
• who have not been to Terra Madre
• who have a demonstrated track record of supporting locally grown and raised food but who are keen on learning more about what it means to successfully source good, clean and fair local produce/products and to build a sustainable/marketable cuisine from them

DEADLINE: March 31, 2010

Names of candidates, a brief description of who they are and what they do and any words or letters of support should be sent to:

info@slowfoodcalgary.ca

WE HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

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Tonya Lailey — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:04:51 +0000

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Growing Food for the First Time: An Introduction to Organic Vegetable Gardening

Tonya Lailey — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:48:25 +0000

Community Gardens Resource Network News

“Growing Food for the First Time: An Introduction to Organic Vegetable Gardening”

Sunday March 7, 2010

2:00 to 5:00 pm

Unitarian Church of Calgary_1703 First Street NW_Calgary

RSVP by Thursday, March 4, 2010 to growfoodcalgary@gmail.com

Join Master Gardener and Organic Market Gardener, Elaine Rude, to learn_about growing vegetables successfully in Calgary!

$5.00 Suggested Donation Refreshments will be provided.

This workshop is made possible by the

Calgary Horticultural Society

Green Calgary

Unitarian Church Green Sanctuary Committee

Hello Gardeners!

I am excited to let you know of an upcoming workshop for people wanting to

earn how to have a successful vegetable garden in Calgary.

Elaine Rude’s easy introduction to organic vegetable growing in Calgary’s

high altitude climate was so popular last year she has agreed to present

it again this spring! Don’t miss it!

Encourage new food gardeners to RSVP as soon as they can to the email address

below as space is limited. If it happens that a gardener cannot attend please let us know

so that a person on the waiting list can have that spot at the workshop!

Gael Blackhall

Community Garden Resource Network

A project of The Calgary Horticultural Society supported by The Calgary Foundation

communitygardens@calhort.org

Community Gardens Resource Network News

Sunday March 7, 2010
2:00 to 5:00 pm
Unitarian Church of Calgary_1703 First Street NW Calgary

***RSVP by Thursday, March 4, 2010 to growfoodcalgary@gmail.com

Join Master Gardener and Organic Market Gardener, Elaine Rude, to learn about growing vegetables successfully in Calgary!

$5.00 suggested donation.
Refreshments will be provided.

This workshop is made possible by…
Calgary Horticultural Society
Green Calgary
Unitarian Church Green Sanctuary Committee

Hello Gardeners!

I am excited to let you know of an upcoming workshop for people wanting to
learn how to have a successful vegetable garden in Calgary.

Elaine Rude’s easy introduction to organic vegetable growing in Calgary’s
high altitude climate was so popular last year she has agreed to present
it again this spring! Don’t miss it!

Encourage new food gardeners to RSVP as soon as they can to the email address
below as space is limited. If it happens that a gardener cannot attend please let us know so that a person on the waiting list can have that spot at the workshop!

Gael Blackhall
Community Garden Resource Network
A project of The Calgary Horticultural Society supported by The Calgary Foundation
communitygardens@calhort.org
Community Gardens Resource Network News

Local 101 and Local 201: Two LOCAL events about eating local food and meeting people who are a part of the local food movement.

Tonya Lailey — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:46:32 +0000

Local 101: Eating food you know from people you know.
An afternoon of presentations by farmers and cooks followed by a sampling of local foods and beverages.

SATURDAY MARCH 13TH, 2010 @ 1:30 PM
@ River Park Church Auditorium
Tickets $20
Tickets are available from Forage
Tel: 403•269•6551
Go to www.foragefoods.com for more details.

Local 201: Connecting people in the local food movement
Hear what’s happening at the core of the local food movement followed by a panel
discussion and lunch.

SATURDAY MARCH 13TH, 2010 @ 9:30 AM
@ River Park Church Auditorium
Tickets $40
Tickets are available from Forage
Tel: 403•269•6551
Go to www.foragefoods.com for more details.

Click here to view event poster: 101201poster

2010 Seedy Saturday

Tonya Lailey — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:55:44 +0000

written by Karen Anderson

The 2010 Seedy Saturday

Submitted by Karen Anderson

Saturday, March 20, is the 2010 date for Calgary’s “Seedy Saturday” which is an annual seed and plant exchange. The event is from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Montgomery Community Centre, 5003 – 16 Ave, NW (at the intersection of Hwy#1 and Home Road)

Slow Food Calgary members will be there to host an information booth so come on out and check out all the wonderful plants and seeds for sale and stop by and visit our booth. Gardening and growing your own food is the most “local” food you can get.

If you need a little more inspiration to get gardening here is a great idea for a plant you may not know much about but that a local gardening guru highly recommends. That guru is Gael Blackhall, the Coordinator of the Community Garden Resource Network which is a project of The Calgary Horticultural Society supported by The Calgary Foundation and Evergreen and here is her fun idea.

Blackhall says, “What’s green, golf-ball sized, low calorie, wrapped like a Chinese lantern, bursting with potassium, vitamins C and A, calcium and folic acid, thrives in Calgary, has been around since 800 BC and makes any sauce, stew, jam, and salsa a hit? Answer: the hydra tomatillo!

Ravishingly beautiful at every stage of growth from cheerful yellow blossom to the clusters of teardrop-shaped husks swaying in the breeze, the mysterious and lovely tomatillo grows and ripens secretly inside the husk. They tolerate average soil, only need moderate amount of water, and once the plant is established, they are weather and drought resistant.

Harvesting the glorious tomatillo is like unwrapping an edible present.

User instructions are simple. Remove husk, wash ripe green fruit and enjoy. Eat the whole thing! There’s absolutely no need to peel or remove the seeds. Its flesh is firmer than a tomato and has a light note of lemon. Tomatillos are a natural understudy for tomatoes in any recipe but without the drama queen fussing tomatoes demand.

Sow seeds indoors 4 weeks before the last frost. Then transplant the seedlings outside 2 feet apart in a very sunny site just after the last springtime frost.

I hope that Calgarians make like an Aztec locavores and discover how easy tomatillos are to grow, how tremendously versatile they are in the kitchen, and how successful they are as a food crop in community gardens!”

Thanks Gael for that great idea. If you want to know more about Community Gardening in Calgary, Blackhall and her team from the Calgary Horticultural Society will also have a booth at “Seedy Saturday”. See you there!

Saturday, March 20, is the 2010 date for Calgary’s “Seedy Saturday” which is an annual seed and plant exchange.

The event is from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Montgomery Community Centre, 5003 – 16 Ave, NW (at the intersection of Hwy#1 and Home Road)

Harvesting the glorious tomatillo is like unwrapping an edible present.

Sow seeds indoors 4 weeks before the last frost. Then transplant the seedlings outside 2 feet apart in a very sunny site just after the last springtime frost.

I hope that Calgarians make like Aztec locavores and discover how easy tomatillos are to grow, how tremendously versatile they are in the kitchen, and how successful they are as a food crop in community gardens!”

Community Garden at Spruce Lane Organics

Tonya Lailey — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:32:28 +0000

The Community Garden at Spruce Lane has been in operation since 1992 and has produced many tons of produce for those willing to grow their own food in our garden. About 30 varieties of vegetables are grown each year. Harvest can begin as early as mid June and continues to the end of September. Seeds, tools, instruction and encouragement are all provided.

The Community Garden is a non-profit project started by Edith Schaeffer and operates on her land. It is supported by various community groups and local agricultural societies affiliated with the Food Security Initiative in Lacombe, which supplies volunteer gardeners who grow their share for the Lacombe Community Suppers throughout the year. Last year, we partnered with Michener Services to start our tender seedlings in greenhouses. Garden and Greenhouse volunteers are always welcome.

We are most grateful for the financial support we receive from time to time. To learn how to support the Garden with a financial contribution, please call Edith at 403-885-4666.

Please read these Guidelines carefully to be sure you are familiar with the structure and operation of our community garden.

We are most grateful for the financial support we receive from time to time. To learn how to support the Garden with a financial contribution, please call Edith at 403-885-4666.

Please read these Guidelines carefully to be sure you are familiar with the structure and operation of our community garden and fill out the application form if you are interested in taking part…Spruce Lane Application 2010

10th Annual Roots & Shoots Dinner at River Café

Tonya Lailey — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:41:12 +0000

When: Monday March 8, 2010 @ 6:30 pm
Where: River Café, Prince’s Island Park

Our annual hopeful celebration of Spring’s return is once again hosted by
River Café. Join chef Scott Pohorelic and his team, along with a cadre of
several guest chefs, for a magnificent seasonal multi-course prairie menu,
accompanied by stellar Canadian wines. If you thought there’s little to eat
in Alberta in early March, Roots & Shoots will delight your palate in
learning otherwise! This popular event is always a sell-out. Dinner at 6:30
pm.

Members, $115; non-members $150. GST and gratuity included. Tickets
available @The Cookbook Co Cooks, 722-11 Ave SW, Calgary, or by phone at
403-265-6066.

Free Showing of Food, Inc.

Tonya Lailey — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:40:15 +0000

FOOD, Inc.is one of the scariest movies in recent years. The New York Times calls it “an informative, often infuriating activist documentary about the big business of feeding, (force-feeding) Americans all the junk that multinational corporate money can buy”. If you want to know why many of us are seeking out nearby organic food sources and enjoying our home gardens, come join us at the Unitarian church on Friday Night, February 5th at 6:30 for a light supper and FOOD, Inc. starting at 7:00 PM. Free parking available in the Balmoral School lot next door.

See the attached poster for details.

The Green Sanctuary Committee

Unitarian Church of Calgary

FOOD, Inc. is one of the scariest movies in recent years. The New York Times calls it “an informative, often infuriating activist documentary about the big business of feeding, (force-feeding) Americans all the junk that multinational corporate money can buy”.

If you want to know why many of us are seeking out nearby organic food sources and enjoying our home gardens, come join us at the Unitarian Church on Friday, February 5th at 6:30 for a light supper and a screening of FOOD, Inc. beginning at 7:00 PM.

Wickenden Hall
Unitarian Church of Calgary
1703- 1st Street NW

*Free parking available in the Balmoral School lot next door.

The Green Sanctuary Committee, Unitarian Church of Calgary
Co-Sponsored with ARUSHA and The Calgary Horticultural Society

Donations Appreciated.

Local Food Events: Two Workshops Coming Soon

Tonya Lailey — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:29:46 +0000

Here is notice of two, FREE one-day workshops where you will hear more about innovative local food events and the smart practices involved in organizing them – in Alberta and across the continent.

Featuring:

• Edmonton Regional Toursim Group’s Taste Event
• Dine Kalyna
• Community Connection Dinners
• Badlands Long Lunch

The full-day sessions covers:

• the details of various local food events
• ideas and opportunities for creating your own local food event

A locally sourced lunch is available and there will be ample time to network.

DATES & LOCATIONS:

February 16 – Camrose
U of A Augustana Campus Chapel
9 am to 3 pm

To register call 780-672-2710 or email: laura@boomtowntrail.com

February 25 – Brooks
Douglas Country Inn
9 am to 3 pm

To register call 403-830-9707 or email: cmmcell@telus.net

BOTH WORKSHOPS ARE FREE BUT YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND.

A Kitchen Party at Infuse Catering featuring Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm

Tonya Lailey — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:17:09 +0000

There is room for just 24 lucky people to join Chef Wade Sirois and local producer Kris Vester of Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farm in the kitchen at Infuse Catering. Chef Sirois will prepare several lovely tasting plates with food grown on this farm. Don’t know what biodynamic is? Come and find out and while you are at it bring your Valentine for a cozy winter’s night in a hot and happening kitchen.

Monday, February 8, 2010
6:30 – 9:00 pm
@ Infuse Catering
3510 – 19 St SW, Calgary
403-269-3902

Slow Food Members: $35.00|
Not Yet Slow Food Members: $45.00

• Price includes food and drink tastings.

Reserve tickets by calling:
The Cookbook Co. Cooks at 403.265.6066