When: Monday July 19th, 10:00am-1:30pm

Where: Joe’s Place Restaurant 5109 NW 39^th Ave, Gainesville (Exit 390 off I-75, ~3 miles on right)

This workshop is intended to foster business relationships by providing a forum for farmers, restaurants, and distributors to better understand each other’s growing, selling, and purchasing needs.

Tentative Agenda:

1. Coffee, Pastries, Networking, Introductions

2. A Farmer’s Perspective - Panel discussion on the farm-to-restaurant experience

3. Going Local – Panel discussion with restaurateurs who are working to source locally-grown food

4. Meeting Demand – Panel discussion with distributors on their efforts to provide local food & work with farmers

5. LUNCH – Third-Party Inspections and MarketMaker Presentation

Enjoy a delicious lunch brought to you by our sponsors and learn more about what is involved with inspections and about a great new marketing tool.

6. Post-workshop Networking, Door Prizes

Sept 7, 2009

Join us for a community potluck on Labor Day, September 7 as we promote awareness  of the Child Nutrition Act which is up for re-authorization.  Restricted budgets for our nation’s schools represent a real struggle to serve children the  food they need. In addition to the good eats, we’ll be hosting speakers discussing the steps already being taken here in Gainesville to provide nutritional food to children in our community, as well as some
activities for kids to enjoy.

Your families and friends are invited to join us with a dish to share a friendly meal, while we explore the food and health issues that affect us and our children. The potluck will be held at the Alachua County Extension Office (2800 NE 39th Ave), with doors opening at 5:00 pm, followed by dinner and activities until our speakers begin at 6:00.

Please send RSVPs, questions or concerns to
slowfoodgainesville@gmail.com. We hope to see you there!

For more information about the campaign visit the Time For Lunch webpage.

If you’ve been wanting to join a CSA, but have are always told, “sorry there is a waiting list” then this is your chance!  Kumarie’s has several pick up locations as well as monthly, full and half shares.  Support a local farming family and enjoy weekly organic, fresh produce handpicked just for you!

Download  Kumarie’s CSA Application.

Seed Savers will hold a permaculture movie night for their June meeting. At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23^rdat the High Springs Public Library three short films will be shown about Sepp Holzer’s permaculture farm in Austria. The films are titled: “Farming with Nature,” “Aquaculture” and “Terraces and Raised Beds.”

Permaculture is a gardening and farming approach that seeks to design perennial agricultural systems that mimic relationships found in natural ecosystems. It focuses on creating “food forests” and sustainable methods that reclaim rather than deplete the land. These short films, more than two years in the making by a Danish film crew, are an excellent introduction to permaculture methods and benefits. Discussion about local permaculture projects and refreshments follow the screening. Please bring some snacks to share.

The group will also have a round-robin question and answer session about summer pest problems and solutions that local gardeners have encountered this season.

The water buffalo on HP Ranch roam sinkholes, ponds, and hammocks near Archer, Florida.  These animals are well adapted to our climate and sandy pastures.   No antibiotics or hormones are used in the production of these free roaming animals.  They are successful, productive inhabitants of the Florida landscape.  Oh, and their meat is delicious!

Interested? Check out the link where you will find an order form. Enjoy!

Cow pooling is back again, by popular demand! Reserve your shares for locally raised, sustainable meat from cattlemen Jack Gillan of Cross Creek Cattle Company. A share will consist of approximately 10lbs of meat, roughly 2/3 hamburger and the rest steaks and roasts. Cost is undetermined yet, but will be between $50-70 per share. A great bargain for supporting local and sustainably raised meat. Contact slowfoodgainesville@gmail.com to reserve your share(s) now. First come, first serve. Space is limited. Shares will be ready in about a month and a half.

Two family cousins who lived here and worked on this farm in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, will speak to us about the things that went on during their times. Like cow hunting, hog marks, troddin’ the garden and much more.  We will also take a hay ride tour of the farms organic  pastures, as well as areas that are being restored to their natural ecosystems.  This will all be followed by a pot luck dinner at our families camp house on the California Creek.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP to slowfoodgainesville@gmail.com so we can plan accordingly. Please no pets of any kind.

Where: From Gainesville take Newberry road west to 19/98, turn right (north) and go approx 40 miles to Salem.  Turn left (west) on Fish  Creek Rd (by big blue sign for Salem Baptist Church) and go about 1/2 mile past end of pavement then follow signs to the left.

It is approximately an hour drive.  If you are interested in carpooling please email us with your phone number  so we can link fellow carpoolers together!

The evening will include “From Farm, to Factory, to Farmstead: The Adirondack Crescent to the Rebirth of American Artisanal Cheese,” a presentation by Slow Food members Russ and Peg Hall.

Selecting highlights from two years of research for an upcoming book, they will describe how production and innovation in American cheese moved from farm to factory, and back to farms. You will sample American farmstead cheeses, learn about making cheese at home, and find out how differences in production processes create cheese varieties such as “aged,” “mold-ripened,” and “washed rind.” They will show how the American artisanal cheese movement is part of the broad societal trend that favors farmers markets, locally grown and produced foods, community supported agriculture, and life-style preferences of cheese producers and cheese consumers.

The presentation will be followed by a wine and cheese social. Cheese will be provided at a cost of $5/person. Please bring your own wine, or wine to share. The event will be hosted at Sanctuary Yoga located at 1204 NW 10th Avenue, behind the Office Depot on 13th St. Presentation starts at 7pm. Space is limited so please RSVP to slowfoodgainesville@gmail.com at your earliest convenience.

This class includes pressure canning, boiling water canning, pickles, jams and jellies.

$3.00 to cover materials, you can pay at the door.

April 14 6:00 @ Alachua County Extension Office, 2800 NE 39 Ave,

Gainesville, 352-955-2402 to pre-register

April 21 2pm & 6pm @ Gilchrist County Library 105 NE 11 Ave.,

Trenton, 352-463-3174 to pre-register

April 28 6pm @ Levy County Extension Office, 625 N Hathaway Ave.,

Bronson, 352-498-1237 to pre-register

April 30 6pm @ High Springs Library, 135 NW 1st Ave., High Springs,

352-955-2402 to pre-register

May 12 2pm & 6pm @ Dixie County Library, 16328 SE Hwy 19, Cross

City, 352-498-1219 to pre-register