fresh news
YOU ARE INVITED TO A BBQ!
We want to celebrate the summer and raise a little money for our delegate to this year’s Terra Madre, so we are hosting a BBQ. On the menu - smoked free range Skagit Valley chicken, grilled
sausage, and sweet corn, accompanied by local cheese, bread, butter, and pickles, and my own BBQ sauce (check the recipe on our website www.slowfoodskagit.org ) Our beer is all the way from Seattle, but it is organic – Pike Place Brewery Naughty Nellie Ale. Where else can you get all that for $20 a person? And I did not even mention the good company of like minded Slow Food supporters!
Lots of information about Terra Madre, and our wonderfuly qualified delegate Ellen Gray are included below, along with the date, time, and location of this special event.
Please help support our Terra Madre delegate, and let us know you are planning to attend by emailing us at:
Thanks,
Burk
AUGUST 22, 2010
TERRA MADRE FUNDRAISER
2 pm - 5 pm
Rexville Grocery Pavilion
19271 Best Road
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Join us for the conviviality of the table – Slow Food style!
$20 per person all-inclusive.
Questions? Email info@slowfoodskagit.org
or call (360) 293-5507 or (360) 293-4525
TERRA MADRE 2010
Terra Madre is one of the food world's premier events, presented by Slow Food International every two years, in Turino, Italy. This year, our convivium has been honored with the opportunity to send members of our community to participate in these world-changing events.
Terra Madre is an international network of over 5,000 farmers, food producers, cooks, activists, and educators from 150 countries. It began, in 2004, as a way for sustainable food producers and farmers to connect, and share their practices with others across the globe.
MEET OUR DELEGATE
Potential participants from throughout the world apply to be selected for the privilege of attending this inspiring international gathering. The total number of delegates has been trimmed by 25% this time, so it is wonderful that Slow Food Skagit River Salish Sea has been honored to have a member of our Skagit community accepted as a delegate to attend this year's event.
Ellen Gray, Co-Chair Good Food Coalition: Ellen has been the Executive Director of The Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network since January 2008. She stepped up to this role from her staff position of Development Coordinator. Ellen currently Chairs the Washington Small Farm Advisory Board, serves on the “Kitchen Cabinet” of Washington State University’s Dean of the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences and co-chairs the Good Food Coalition. Ellen has a MMA from the University of Washington and a BA from the University of Vermont. She is a dynamic, articulate, energetic, and seasoned nonprofit professional with diverse hands-on experience and skills. Ellen has a long commitment to advocacy work and more than 25 year’s experience in the non-profit sector. Originally from Vermont, Ellen spent much of her childhood working on either dairy or horse farms. She has a deep appreciation for the challenges facing small farms that are a vital element of a healthy agricultural landscape. As a parent of a 13 year old boy, Ellen has worked for several years to encourage her school district to serve more locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. She has a passionate and personal interest in the farm to school movement. Her son has participated in the Slow Food in Schools program at Lincoln Elementary School in Mount Vernon Washington. www.wsffn.org
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
We need your help so that our local delegate can attend this grand gathering. Delegates must pay for their own airfare to get to Italy. Slow Food International and numerous sponsors will provide for our delegate while she is in Torino. But, airfare will be between $1200 and $1400, and we do not want her to miss out on this amazing opportunity because she can't afford the airline ticket.
You may have noticed that we haven't asked you for money for our convivium. We don't get the dues money when you join, and we have not wanted to ask for anything for free from the local food producers that we created our convivium to promote and support. We have felt that we would not ask for donations from you until we had a specific reason.
Now, we have a great reason, to help this deserving member of our Slow Food Community travel to the home of Slow Food, to join with her colleagues from all over the world, to learn, experience, taste, and bring their world food connection back to the Skagit.
We are planning fundraising activities, big and small, for later in the summer. But, to encourage our delegate that she will have some financial help with her tickets, I am asking you if you would please send a cash donation now. If you can send a check to help, whether it's $10 or $100, please make it out to "Slow Food Skagit" and mail it to P.O. Box 488, Anacortes, WA 98221. Donations to Slow Food Skagit are tax deductible (501-3c).
We will thank the companies and individuals who donate, on our website and in our newsletter (unless you ask us not to). We appreciate your participation in our Slow Food Community.
Our delegate will undertake her own fundraising activities, as well. We encourage you to support her individual efforts.
Questions? Email info@slowfoodskagit.org
or call (360) 293-5507 or (360) 293-4525
MORE ABOUT TERRA MADRE
For more information about Terra Madre, please go to the Slow Food USA website.
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/details/bringing_terra_madre_home/
Thank you for your support of Slow Food Skagit River Salish Sea!
•••••
CONGRATULATIONS TO
SLOW FOOD WHIDBEY ISLAND
We welcome to the region a new Slow Food Chapter on Whidbey Island. We have long felt that with its own diverse farming traditions, quality artisan food producers and retailers, and slow living folks, the Island would be a great fit for Slow Food. They are loosely centered in Coupville, but intend to serve the whole Island. Barbara Graham (barbinki@gmail.com) is the Chapter Leader, and Vincent Nattress (vincentnattress@hotmail.com) is the Vice Chair.
•••••
ANOTHER LOCAL FOOD ADVOCATE JOINS
THE USDA'S LEADERSHIP
by Slow Food USA staffer Gordon Jenkins
January 11, 2010
The Des Moines Register reports that USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s current chief of staff has moved on to a position with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is being replaced by Karen Ross, former president of the California Winegrape Growers Association and one of the “Sustainable Dozen” proposed in 2008 by Food Democracy Now for the position of USDA Secretary.
On the blog La Vida Locavore, Jill Richardson quotes Michael Dimock (president of the organization Roots of Change), who has praised Ms. Ross as an advocate for sustainable agriculture and believes she will give California’s fruit and vegetable growers a stronger voice in the USDA.
She joins Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, another important local food advocate in a top leadership role at the USDA. Their presence in D.C. represents a much-needed policy shift towards supporting local food and addressing the needs of actual farmers.
•••••
THE NEWEST NEWS
I-1033 IS BAD FOR FARMERS
WASHINGTON SUSTAINABLE FOOD & FARMING NETWORK OPPOSES I-1033
(MOUNT VERNON, WA)— In a unanimous decision, the board of directors of The Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network voted to oppose Initiative 1033. 1033 is a revenue capping initiative that will be on the Washington ballot this November. If passed, it will cap government’s ability to generate revenue to our current 2009 levels, adjusted for annual inflation and population growth. The Office of Financial Management recently released a study showing that I-1033 will reduce revenues for education, health care, and other services by $5.9 billion over the next five years. If 1033 passes, public investments in local agriculture will be hurt.
“We lose 70,000 acres of farmland every year in Washington State. We cannot afford to lose the land and people that feed us,” says Ellen Gray, Executive Director of The Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network.
The following programs that help our kids and our farmers would be at risk if I-1033 passes.
· The WA-Grown Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Grants to low income schools enabling schools to purchase fresh, Washington grown fruits and vegetables directly from our farmers
· The Farmer Market Nutrition programs that allows low income families and seniors to purchase healthy fresh food at Farmers Markets
· The Farm to School program at Washington State Department of Agriculture
· The organic and sustainable research program at WSU
“I operate a small farm and sell directly to consumers at Farmers Markets every week. If I-1033 passes, fewer food stamps will be available to be spent at Farmers Markets. Fewer customers at my stand means less income for my farm.” states Steve Hallstrom, owner and operator of Let Us Farm in Oakville WA. “Times are tough enough already – 1033 just makes things worse.”
“If we want a more sustainable food and farming system we need to be able to feed ourselves. We need to help schools rebuild their ability to handle local, fresh produce,” states Alm Hill Gardens Farm Owner Gretchen Hoyt. “With childhood obesity at epidemic levels, we need to invest in our children’s health. I-1033 will limit our ability to help schools serve fresh, unprocessed local food to our children.”
Ellen Gray
Executive Director
Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network
PO Box 762, Mount Vernon WA. 98273-0762
Phone: (360) 336-9694 Fax: (360) 336-1579
...sustainable farming advocates.
•••••
KNOW YOUR FARMER, KNOW YOUR FOOD
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2009 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced a new initiative to better connect children to their food and create opportunities for local farmers to provide their harvest to schools in their communities as part of USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) will team together and form 'Farm to School Tactical Teams' to assist school administrators as they transition to purchasing more locally grown foods. The agencies will also issue updated common-sense purchasing guidance to schools so they can buy fresh, locally grown produce for students eating through USDA's school nutrition programs. Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Julie Paradis made the announcement on Merrigan's behalf at the Homegrown School Lunch Week Kickoff in Hanover, Md.
"It is important that our children have access to healthy, nutritious food and our focus on enabling schools to purchase local produce will provide opportunities for local producers," said Merrigan. "This will enable greater wealth creation in communities by allowing producers to build their capacity by serving local institutional customers like schools."
USDA's Farm-To-School Tactical Teams will soon begin touring America's school cafeterias to identify challenges and opportunities to help them transition to purchasing more locally grown foods. The team will work with local farmers, local and state authorities, school districts, and community partners to develop Farm-To-School projects and provide assistance on the best ways to buy more local produce for the National School Lunch Program. USDA will partner with schools, the U.S. Department of Education and non-profits to develop and enhance these resources. Additional information will be made available soon.
This announcement is just one component of USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative to help develop local and regional food systems and spur economic opportunity. By successfully restoring the link between consumers with local producers there can be new income opportunities for farmers and generate wealth that will stay in rural communities; a greater focus on sustainable agricultural practices; and families can better access healthy, fresh, locally grown food.
Secretary Vilsak released this short video on Monday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tms8ye8mw_k
•••••
INNOVATIVE SCHOOL CAFETERIA PROJECT
ON ORCAS ISLAND
Islands' Sounder
San Juan Islands
Aug 20 2009
The first Fifth Season project of the Farm-to-Cafeteria, F2C, program began with a lot of slicing and dicing on Monday, Aug. 17. At the cafeteria Kari Schuh led eleven F.E.A.S.T. students to prepare fruits and vegetables for freezing.
The summer produce arrived that morning fresh from the fields of local farms including Maple Rock, La Campesina, Morning Star, Black Dog, and Goldeneye. The Fifth Season bounty included organic plums, raspberries, Walla Walla onions, russet potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, squash, and green beans. F2C processed the produce to be served at the cafeteria throughout the year. This school year will be the first implementation of the Fifth Season project.
“This is an historical event,” said F2C committee chair Madie Murray.
The day began with some classroom instruction by F2C Coordinator Bruce Orchid, who demonstrated the difference between the fresh food they would process that day and processed foods which are packaged with preservatives and chemicals. Orchid demonstrated the superior taste, color, and appearance of the fresh, organic produce.
“The differences were startling,” said Murray.
Orchid explained how each item needed to be prepared to be frozen and assigned teams of two students to each task. F.E.A.S.T. students Kathryn Tidwell, Huxley Smart, Sofie Thixton, Seabern Gieser, Lee Gibbons, Alex Brown, Cameron Smart, Iris Parker Pavitt, Megan Corbett, Claire O'Neill, Halley McCormick were assisted by Kari Schuh and Ezekiel Barr.
By the end of the day, F.E.A.S.T. had filled the freezer with with 32 gallons of summer squash, 11 gallons of green beans, 20 gallons of plums, three gallons of raspberries and 12 gallons of cut potatoes for French fries.
The remainder of Monday’s crop was finished on Tuesday by sauteing before freezing Walla Walla onions that will be served on pizzas or in soups. Tomatoes were pureed into sauce. Basil and garlic was bagged and frozen also.
“A group of us first got enthused about the possibility of our doing what is called ‘Fifth Season’ on Orcas when we attended the Farm to School conference last March in Portland,” Murray said. “With the support of everyone on the F2C Committee, the F.E.A.S.T. kids, coordinator Bruce Orchid, and the community pitching in with labor and funding, it really happened.”
“There will be a lot of changes in the look, feel, and taste in the cafeteria this coming school year,” said Orchid.
Ellen Gray
Executive Director
Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network
PO Box 762, Mount Vernon WA. 98273-0762
Phone: (360) 336-9694 Fax: (360) 336-1579
...sustainable farming advocates.
•••••
Regional
Seasonal
Sustainable
Convivial
