Slow Food Member and AWIF's Days of Taste Program

Slow Food Members-join us again for Days of Taste!

Chefs, Foodies, Nutrition Experts, Farmers and Growers—come one, come all!
Be a part of the Coolest Field Trip of All!
It’s Days of Taste Time Again!

Join us as we explore the ABC’s of Taste & Health through the American Institute of Wine and Food Days of Taste Program. Held at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, Days of Taste provides a unique field trip experience for 4th and 5th grade elementary students in Dallas public schools. Through the program, students have the opportunity to explore the nuances of taste through the five senses with a tasting component guided by a chef, a visit with a local farmer to discover the wealth and variety of products grown and that are available locally, and prepare a Harvest salad using fresh produce that the they have purchased themselves at the Dallas Farmer’s Market. Volunteer culinarians and nutritionists share their enthusiasm for fresh ingredients, cooking, and love of food. The program teaches kids the concept of “from farm to table”-one that is difficult for kids to grasp these days.


Our Spring 2010 Dates:

Monday, 5/3
Tuesday, 5/4-FULL
Wednesday, 5/5-FULL
Thursday, 5/6

Monday, 5/10-FULL
Tuesday, 5/11
Wednesday, 5/12
Thursday, 5/13

Shifts are from 9:00AM-1:00 PM
10/12 volunteers needed per day-bring your friends!
Dallas Farmer’s Market
Free parking
T-shirt, Lunch and Volunteer Instructions are provided

Volunteer responsibilities include:

* Greeting the students and teachers as they arrive at the market
* Overseeing hand washing
* Assisting chefs and growers as needed
* Assisting students with tasting component
* Assisting in the shopping and preparation of the Harvest salad
* Clean up and other duties as assigned

For more information and to sign up, please contact Robin Plotkin at robin@robinplotkin.com or 214-725-3947. To learn more about AIWF and the Days of Taste Program, please see the Days of Taste link under Programs. Www.aiwf.org/dallasftworth

Farm Tour Features Three Local Farms (and Lunch)

If you’re interested in getting better connected with local farmers, you might be interested ins a day-tour of three local farms on Saturday July 11, sponsored by EatGreenDFW.com and Food Roots both owned by Slow Food members. The culinary bus tour will take you (in air conditioned splendor) to JuHaRanch, Oak Grove Farms and Garden Harvests where you'll discover how three farmers bring sustainably grown produce, meat and dairy products to our community using organic and natural methods. And bring the kids. It’s a great way for them to learn where their food comes from.

The trip, which includes lunch at the Brown Street Cafe and Kolache Depot in Ennis, is $89 but there's a discount for Slow Food members. Just drop a line to brian@eatgreendfw and I'll send you the coupon code that's good for 10% off.

Mary Kimbrough of Food Roots has lined up three great places to visit and learn about local agriculture. And it even looks like there will be a wine tasting with wines from Calais Winery during our stop at Oak Grove Farms. You can find out more and sign up here.

You don't want to miss it. You will have an opportunity to buy pick of the season at all of our stops.

Last Chance to Stop NAIS

"Protect Our Food Supply - Stop NAIS!" is still in the running at change.org, but it needs over two thousand more votes to make it into the Top 10 Ideas.  And only the top 10 entries in this online contest "win" and have their ideas presented at the National Press Club on January 16th and advocacy campaigns organized to promote them.  

 

The competition ends this Thursday, January 15, at 5 pm eastern time.  In addition to voting for stopping NAIS, please let everyone you know who is interested in supporting local, sustainable agriculture know. 

Step 1: If you are not already signed up for the site, register at:  https://www.change.org/admin/sign_up  

 

Step 2: Go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais   Be sure to click the box labeled "Vote!" to the left of "Protect Our Food Supply -- Stop NAIS!"    Leaving a comment does not count as a vote.  

 

After you click the Vote box, it will change color and show "Voted."  If it does not do that, shift your mouse a bit and click again, because it sometimes take several tries. 

Help Stop NAIS

You may or may not have heard about the National Animal Identification System. But if you support local farmers, you'll do what you can to stop it. Our friend Judith McGeary from the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance points out two websites that are allowing people to speak up about issues they want President-elect Obama to address when he takes office and both are running questions related to NAIS.

The private website, www.change.org, will present the "Top 10 Ideas for America" to the Obama Adminsitration on Inauguration Day.   The first phase of the voting ends today, and the top 3 ideas in each category will be selected for the second round of voting. 

"Stop NAIS" is currently in second place in Agriculture, and the voting is very close!  A few votes may make the difference between the Stop NAIS message making it to the next round, or not!    

Step 1: If you are not already signed up for the site, register at:  https://www.change.org/admin/sign_up  

Step 2: Go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais   Be sure to click the box labeled "vote!" to the left of the Stop NAIS!  Simply leaving a comment does not count as a vote.

And the Obama Transition Team has set up a section calld "Open for Questions" on the official website.  They have not specified the deadline for submitting or voting on questions, but said they will respond to the top issues "in the new year." 

Step 1: Go to http://change.gov/page/content/openforquestions20081229/  

Step 2: Type "animal identification" into the box next to "Search Questions"  There are currently 8 questions that involve NAIS that can be found by searching those terms.   

Step 3: Click on the checkmark by the question to vote "yes".  If you are not already signed in, you will  be asked to, with a link at the top of the box.

Rehoboth Ranch In the News

Robert Hutchins from Rehoboth Ranch sent along links to four recent samples of media coverage featuring Rehoboth and the wisdom of eating green--three of them from the Dallas Observer and one from Channel 33.
Looks like the word is getting out.

They are worth checking out.

From the Observer:
Texas Meats is named Best Grass Fed Beef
FOOD: Everything Old is New Again
Un-Super Size Me: One Week of Eating Local (One man’s attempt at slow food living in the Dallas metroplex)

From Channel 33
Greenville's Rehoboth Ranch's Natural Meat

EatGreenDFW is Open For Business

EatGreenDFW officially opened its on-line farmers market this week offering products from North Texas ranchers and farmers along with other sustainable food and non-food products.

The site was originally focused on locally produced food but has grown to include an eclectic mix of products bound together by their connection to natural, sustainable food or their connection to Texas. A basic listing on the site is free and currently there are 24 producers listed.

The on-line farmers market offers products from twelve of them including meat and poultry from JuHa Ranch in Barry, Dominion Farms in Denison, P.O.P. Acres in Purdon, Sloans Creek Farm in Dodd City and JZJ Natural Beef in Troy; sun-dried tomatoes from Oak Grove Farms in Ennis; and natural pet treats from Ol’ Maggie Bakery in Plano.

Additionally the store offers wild Alaska Salmon from Fred’s Alaska Seafood; organic gardening supplies from Edens Organic Garden Center in Balch Springs; and books written by Texas authors and published by Dallas-based Atriad Press and Lone Star Productions. Soon to come: pickles and relishes from Dis & Dat Organic Farm in Purdon.

Full disclosure: Yours truly is part owner.

Slow Food Member Sid Greer Featured in DMN Article

Texas Farmers Blogging for Business and Pleasure
07:29 AM CDT on Monday, August 25, 2008
By JESSICA SIDMAN / The Dallas Morning News

"Texas farmer Sid Greer was checking on his cattle last summer when it suddenly began to pour. He ducked behind a tree and watched as the rain filtered through the pine trees, glowing in the sun. The sight of the rain and the smell of the earth were so overwhelming that Mr. Greer ran inside to write a blog post. "It was almost a sensuous experience, so I wanted to share it immediately," said Mr. Greer, 59, of Daingerfield, Texas."

To read more of Sid's musings, please see his blog: http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/.