Slow Food Columbia is one of 200+ Slow Food USA chapters, located in Columbia, South Carolina. Our mission is to support the movement behind GOOD, CLEAN and FAIR foodways in the Midlands and beyond. Our convivium hosts workshops, potlucks and other events throughout the year to celebrate local + seasonal flavors; to showcase the culinary talents of our region's chefs, farmers, + artisan producers; to strengthen connections between members of our local food community; and to educate the public about the importance of knowing where your food comes from.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

2012 brings Columbia Mardi Gras, Slow Food @ Indie Grits, and TOMATO!

Hi everyone! Happy new year!

Got 3 big agenda items this year, plus anything else y'all would like to initiate or make happen. What are your thoughts?

1. Saturday, February 18, 2012: COLUMBIA MARDI GRAS!

Slow Food Columbia would like to supply volunteers for the new Krewe de Columbi-ya-ya's big annual parade and party, Columbia Mardi Gras on Saturday, February 18 at City Roots. 

MAN, was the first one a good time. Wow.





 




We'd love to rally some Slow Food folks to volunteer at the 2nd annual event, which will take place as a parade and party at City Roots, up around to the Cock-n-Bull, and back for a big revel with about a million cool local bands. 

Interested?  









Very excited that Carolina Green Fair organizer Vanessa Driscoll is doing the planning along with Krewe leaders Tom Hall, Rosso Trattoria owner Kristian Niemi, Contractor Joseph Fearn, USC archaeology professor Ken Kelly, Columbia Design League President Anna Redwine, Jasper Magazine Editor/Publisher Cindi Boiter. Hail King Emile DeFelice and Queen Anne Wolfe Postic! 

And...Mayor Steve Benjamin is the Grand Marshal! 



To hop in, email mardigrascolumbia@gmail.com with offers of volunteering or in-kind sponsorship. To just buy tix, click below!

http://www.mardigrascolumbia.org/ 


2.  Sunday, April 22, 2012: SLOW FOOD AT INDIE GRITS!



This "Sustainable* Taste of Columbia" event rallies all the chefs, caterers and restaurateurs who walk the walk to buy and serve sustainably produced goods on a regular basis. 

Big ole tastes of their food, cash bar, a Slow Food friends & members potluck, and live music at the All-Local Farmer's Market made this first-time event in 2011 a sell-out smash hit! 

Let's do it again, shall we? 


This year, the Indie Grits Festival is a full 10 days, April 19-29. (Actually it's 11 days of goodness, but who's counting!)


Kickoff party for the whole festival is Thursday, April 19. 


Our Slow Food at Indie Grits event will be Sunday, April 22, 4-7pm at the All Local Farmers' Market at 711 Whaley. Want to sponsor, participate, or volunteer? Email tracieb@slowfoodcolumbia.org and let's do this thing!


*How do we define sustainable? 
The first question: does the producer, chef, host or business entity follow Slow Food's mission of promoting "Good, Clean and Fair" foodways? 
For this event, we define sustainable as meaning one or more of the following: as close to organic as possible; as little impact on air and water systems as possible; short transport routes; fair wages to workers; a passion for high quality ingredients with excellent flavor; and practicing conservation on a day-to-day level.

http://www.nickelodeon.org 
http://www.slowfoodcolumbia.org
http://www.indiegrits.com



3. Sunday, July 15, 2012: THE 3RD ANNUAL PALMETTO TASTY TOMATO FESTIVAL!


Design: Thomas Jennings, The Half and Half

It's Mater Plannin' Time!
We're pretty solid on Sunday, July 15, 2012 at City Roots urban farm for the 3rd Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival!

Hooray!




In the first year, we hoped for 150 people and over 300 flocked out. Was amazing!

In the second year, we hoped for 500-700.

Instead, 1200 ATTENDEES came out!






















Party Central on a hot summer evening. Boo-ya
The support for our mission is incredible.

Kudos to every single person who has helped make this newfangled food festival a reality and success!









There is a giant groundswell in Columbia, SC and beyond to support Good, Clean and Fair foodways and the taste superiority of the homegrown, heirloom tomato! The Midlands = truly famously hot, y'all.


OK. Things to start thinking about:


1. Want to volunteer?
The El Burrito ladies ran a killer heirloom mater sandwich bar!

Want to take a leadership role?

Email tracieb@slowfoodcolumbia.org with your interest levels.














Feeding free-range chickens is fun.
You can stake a claim and take ownership of something here -- it's very rewarding! So many of us can attest to that.














2. Want to sponsor?

S&S Art Supply sponsored our kids' craft tent 2010 + 2011!
In-kind donations, cash sponsorships -- we have a customized sponsor benefits package and can work with you to meet your goals.

Again, email tracieb@slowfoodcolumbia.org.














We love our sponsors!
We are all about giving our sponsors lots of love on social media, in the press, and at the event.

Sponsoring is fun, easy, and a great way to assume a sense of ownership with our incredible team.











3. Suggestions for this year.

Comment below, make notes on our Facebook page, email us -- we want to hear from you! Some of the best ideas have come from y'all. Bring it.

Meanwhile:

LIKE the Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival fan page: http://www.facebook.com/TastyTomatoFest

JOIN the Slow Food Columbia group page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_16629285309

LIKE the Sustainable Midlands fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sustainable-Midlands/198327726878200



Posted by Tracie Broom at 3:23 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)