A new organization is being formed in Fairhope to address the issue of local food production. The first general public meeting of the Local Food Production Initiative will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 9 in the first floor auditorium of the Fairhope Public Library in downtown Fairhope. Everyone interested is invited to attend.
Among the issues that the Local Food Production Initiative will look into are establishing a community garden in Fairhope; expanding and promoting the Fairhope Farmers Market; encouraging the preservation of agricultural land by conservation easements or other incentives; and public education on the benefits of and opportunities for obtaining locally produced food.
For additional information about the Local Food Production Initiative contact Elaine Snyder-Conn at 251-990-4751, or Edward Lawrence at 251-928-4646 or edfairhope at bellsouth dot net.
ALSO: There will be a fund-raising jazz listening and big band dance event on Saturday, June 7 to raise funds for the newly formed Local Food Production Initiative. Music will be by the Dr. Jazz Normand Dance Orchestra with vocalist Lauren Jackson
The big band dance will be held at the Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship, 1150 Fairhope Avenue in Fairhope, across from the Baldwin County Satellite Court House, a few blocks east of U.S. 98. Dancing practice & tips 6:30 to 7 p.m.; the music & dance is 7 to 10:30 p.m. Dressy or sporty-casual. The requested contribution is $10 per person, $15 for two people. Hot hors d'oeuvres (no alcohol).
announcements: May 2008 Archives
WHAT: A Taste of the Gulf Coast in partnership with Culinary Corps
WHEN: Wednesday, June 4, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
WHERE: Gulf Hills Hotel and Conference Center, Ocean Springs MS
COST: Approximately $25; cash bar will be provided by the hotel
CONTACT: Diane Claughton at 251.633.6944 for more information and tickets
WHY: Kick-off and fund raiser for the first Slow Food Gulf Coast project, a cookbook entitled "Lost and Found Family Recipes of the Gulf Coast," a remembrance and recreation of family recipes that were lost in hurricane Katrina.
Volunteers for the event are also needed.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
"A Taste of the Gulf Coast" will feature ingredients from the LA/MS/AL Gulf Coast Region and the producers who make such food possible. Designed as a cross between a cocktail party and a cooking demonstration, the event will allow ticket holders to taste a variety of local foods such as Sweet Home Farm cheese, Al’s Bread, Dita’s pepper jelly, Terri’s produce, Gloria and Morris’ goat sausage and much, much more. In addition the chefs will be cooking up such delights as herbed crepes with Gulf Coast shrimp and crawfish, smoked Lucedale quail, shitake mushroom and goat cheese tartine, French toast with blueberry compote and sweet potato scones with pecan-honey butter.
Slow Food Gulf Coast MS and AL is a relatively new chapter of Slow Food USA, founded last year and still in the process of developing a membership base. Slow Food is an international organization that originated out a reaction to the increasing pervasiveness of "fast food." Slow Food USA (the parent organization of Slow Food Gulf Coast) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions of North America. Slow Food USA believes that pleasure and quality in everyday life can be achieved by slowing down, respecting the traditions of the table and celebrating the diversity of the earth's bounty. You can read more about Slow Food USA and Slow Food International on the organization web sites.
Culinary Corps "designs, organizes and launches outreach experiences for culinary students and professionals. Currently, our efforts are centered on the rebuilding efforts and culinary renaissance of New Orleans, LA." You can read about their upcoming trip to the Gulf Coast region on their web site (note that the $300 cost listed there is for the chefs and students involved, not for people attending the Slow Food event).
OK, this IS a bit off-topic, but it is environmentally-related...
If you watch the WKRG news, you might have seen my husband interviewed tonight in this story on alternative transportation.
Incidentally, May is National Bike Month, and Bike to Work Day is this Friday, May 16.
Bike commuting may not be for everyone, and Mobile is not a bicycle-friendly city, but it is easier than you might at first suspect. After commuting for a month Chris told me, "You know, I don't have a car and it's not a disaster. I haven't regretted it once."
If you want to learn more, bicycle enthusiasts are eager to share information and help you get started. We bought our bikes at Mobile's Cadence 120 (owner Brad is also interviewed in the WKRG story), and the staff there are knowledgeable, friendly, and very helpful. There is also a substantial bike commuter online community; one of my husband's favorite sites is Bike Commuters.
We received a mention in the May 6 edition of Mobile's alternative weekly, Lagniappe.
In the Word of Mouth column, food editor Kinnon Phillips also mentions that a Buck's Pizza will be opening downtown in the former Janino's location, and that they plan to use local produce. I'm not familiar with Buck's; anyone ever had it?
