Slow Food Columbia

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

2012-01-15T15:23:00.004-05:00

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 the2nd 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

Slow Food Potluck @ Indie Grits party this Sunday 9/18!

2011-09-16T09:31:00.002-04:00

What's next? MORE EATING SLOW, OF COURSE!

Let's celebrate our repeat partnership with The Nickelodeon's 6th Annual Indie Grits Festival! The 2012 festival dates are April 20, 2012 - April 29, 2012 here in Columbia, SC. The festival is 10 DAYS LONG this year!

Save the date: 2nd Annual Slow Food at Indie Grits event Sunday, April 22, 2012!

This Sunday, Sept. 18, 4-7pm:
Indie Grits Festival Partner Launch Party!

BUY TICKETS FOR SEPT 18

Sunday, September 18
4-7pm
Five Points Pub
$15 admission
$10 for members of Slow Food Columbia, The Nickelodeon, The SC Philharmonic
Devine St. at Harden, across from Goatfeathers
Columbia, SC 29205

To Slow Food Columbians, Indie Grits pre-launch party means POTLUCK!

We kinda like to go all out with the potlucks. Did you see Susan Ardis' fabulous article in The State about our event?

http://www.thestate.com/2011/09/07/1960787/throw-down.html

This Sunday, potluck dishes will be Slow Food Columbia's contribution to this event. If you aren't up for cooking, no worries! Just come to the party.

To participate in the potluck, simply prepare a dish to share that could serve a full portion to 10-20 people, and bring it with you to the event, 4-7pm 9/18/2011.

The cost per portion, on your end, should aim to be less than $5 per person. Ideally, your dish would have at least one major ingredient that was sourced locally. Even better if it was produced sustainably, no?

In addition to a shared potluck by Slow Food Columbia:

Filmmaker Roger Beebe, showing his short films on multiple projectors
Live music
Select Crafty Feast vendors (event date April 28, 2012)
Puppet Slam preview with Lyon Hill and Kimi Maeda
and more!

Indie Grits festival elements this year also include partnerships with these esteemed entities:

Morihiko and the SC Philharmonic
The ConvergeSE technology conference, April 26-28, 2012
701 CCA Columbia Open Studios, Sat. + Sun. April 21-22, 2011

A 2012 Indie Grits Festival Pass will be awarded to one lucky attendee at this Sept. 18 party, so hop on the bus and party with us!

And, dear convivium colleagues, this affair is timed perfectly to coincide with Slow Food USA's huge, national $5 Challenge! Read up on it at the Huff Post:

Jerusha Klemperer
Associate Director of Programs, Slow Food USA
Take Back the Value Meal: Slow Food for the Price of Fast Food
Posted: 8/25/11 02:17 PM ET
"Earlier this summer, as I was hauling a bag of farmers' market produce home 15 blocks and up four flights of stairs, sweating bullets, cursing my choice to buy a melon (they're heavy!), I stopped mid-step.
"Does it really have to be this hard?" I asked myself.

My story is particular to me, of course, but all over the country there are people trying to put food on the table and asking themselves "does it really have to be this hard?" (...Read more at the Huffington Post)

(Continued...)
The economy is tanking. We're all stressed about money and we're all stressed about time. And yet. Every day there are people all over the country who find a way -- despite the challenges of access, affordability, and time-to cook healthy food on a budget. It's not easy -- especially at first -- but they've developed tips and tricks for stretching their food dollars, and decreasing the amount of time it takes to make a fresh and delicious meal. This campaign seeks to learn from those people, to share their wisdom -- and then work together to make eating this way a reality for everyone every day.

So, on September 17, take the challenge: get together with family and friends and cook a "slow food" meal for less than the cost of fast food. Know how? Teach others. Want to learn? This is your chance. You can host a potluck where nothing costs more than $5. You can cook for a crowd and charge $5 at the door. You can cook with your family for less than $5 per person."

At Slow Food Columbia, our potlucks, for the most part, really can feed a crowd for well under $5 per person, when it comes to buying (and growing!) and preparing ingredients.

Let's get together and celebrate the independent spirit of the Indie Grits Festival, and let's Take Back the Value Meal together on Sunday, September 18!

The potluck food will be our group's contribution to the party.

Everyone knows that the food at a Slow Food party is usually the tastiest in town!

More details as they coalesce; have a slow weekend and congrats to the new Wednesday Night Market at the All Local Farmers Market at 701 Whaley!

Now Columbia, SC has two All Local Farmers Market shifts from which to choose: Wednesdays, 4pm-8pm, and Saturdays, 8am-12pm! The opener on August 24 was tons of fun, with lots of Saturday am regulars, plus a whole new crop of marketers sipping cold PBR, buying Good Life vegan wraps, snarfing down Bone-In's latest specialty pork sandwich, plowing through braised beef-stuffed potatoes w/blue cheese at the Rosso booth, and sipping wine almost directly from the lovely Eme Crawford's hand. WLTX TV came out and did a live remote every half hour from the #NightMarket, and Capital Pedicab was on hand to give bicycle rickshaw rides. What a time!

(A big Slow Food welcome to professional photographer, fountain expert, and Mise en Place Knife Sharpening owner Forrest Clonts, who has been brought on by market founder Emile DeFelice as the new market manager! Forrest is going to rock as the market manager. We've worked with him on numerous projects and he rocks!)

Farewell to the amazing Erin Curtis -- we wish you well on your new adventures in Washington, D.C., but sister, you will definitely be missed!)

Yours Slowly,
Tracie Broom
Events Manager
Slow Food Columbia
415.235.5718

Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival Recap!

2011-08-25T23:48:00.000-04:00

Hi, Slow Food Columbia!

Well, the Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival was an enormous success, y'all.

And by enormous we mean HUGE!!!

Just dazzling! Thank you to everyone who came out to support GOOD, CLEAN and FAIR foodways and sustainability in our communities!

When our Slow Food Community gets together, it really is a little bit magical.

And very tasty.

We were expecting maybe 500-700ppl, and with a few quirks and such, City Roots farm was able to accommodate 1200 guests!

It was a glorious day enjoyed by all.

Tasty Tomato Festival Design by The Half and Half!

2011-07-01T23:40:00.002-04:00

We are loving all of the gorgeous designs being created for our marketing campaign by designer Thomas Jennings of The Half and Half.

Check out these rack cards! You'll be seeing these around town soon. Click on them to visit www.tastytomatofest.org for info, or just click right here to buy your tickets now!

http://bit.ly/TastyTomato

Look ma, we've got a QR code!

2011-06-27T22:25:00.001-04:00

It's official. We are big time nerds.

Don't feel like downloading a QR scanning app for your smartphone (or going out and getting a smartphone to start with)?

No worries. Just click here and you'll get the same exact result, without the dots and loops:

http://www.tastytomatofest.org

Homegrown Tomato Contest Deadline is Sat., July 9, 2011!

2011-06-18T14:33:00.002-04:00

Are you growing your own tomatoes? The 2nd Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival wants YOU!

Be recognized for supporting local food and being a successful home gardener in our Homegrown Tomato Contest, helmed by the awesome folks at Sustainable Midlands!

Entries will be collected at the All-Local Farmers’ Market at 711 Whaley Street, Columbia, SC 29201 from 8AM till noon on Saturday, July 9th, 2011.

The tomatoes will be judged that afternoon, and the results sealed until the festival on Sunday, July 17th at City Roots farm! You can enter multiple categories. To qualify for a category, bring enough for 5 judges to taste for each entry.

All participating gardeners will be recognized at the festival and on the website! Email us a picture of your garden today, and feel free to post photos, links, articles, and more on our Facebook pages (links below)!

Homegrown Tomato Contest categories:

Best Big Red
Best Big Yellow
Best Unusual Tomato (striped, purple, etc)
Best Small
Best School/Community Garden

Any questions? Send an email to ryan@sustainablemidlands.org!

Let's get friendly on Facebook!

INVITE GUESTS via Facebook event invite: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165425863520257

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

Buy discount advance festival tix now: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/179417

Attack of the Tasty Tomatoes, Sunday, July 17!

Sustainable Midlands and Slow Food Columbia present:

The 2nd Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival

Sunday, July 17, 6-9pm
$10 advance, $15 at gate, children free
Special tomato potluck 4:30-5:30pm w/$20 "Supporter" ticket and a covered dish
Venue: City Roots Urban Sustainable Farm
1005 Airport Blvd., Columbia SC 29205
Free parking
Bring cash for the bar, tomato games, and select artisan food vendors!

Cash bar by The Whig w/SC-brewed beers
Organic basil lemonade and Bloody Marys sponsored by the new organic spirit, American Harvest
Bone-In Artisan BBQ on Wheels
Spotted Salamander Catering
Heirloom tomato sandwich bar

Thanks to overwhelming success last year, local nonprofit organizations Sustainable Midlands and Slow Food Columbia are again co-presenting the 2nd Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival on Sunday, July 17th, 2011 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at City Roots urban sustainable farm.

Let's celebrate our famously hot local tomatoes, shall we?

Special Tomato Potluck for "Supporters" at 4:30pm
Also available (in advance only) is a special Supporter Ticket for $20. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/179417

Supporters have the option to participate in a pre-festival Tomato Potluck Dinner from 4:30 - 5:30PM. Supporters bring a potluck tomato dish to share! Pre-sales for these tickets will end on Friday, July 15.

Attack of the Tasty Tomatoes, Sunday July 17!

2011-06-10T16:23:00.004-04:00

Thanks to overwhelming success last year, local nonprofit organizations Sustainable Midlands and Slow Food Columbia are again co-presenting the 2nd Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival on Sunday, July 17th, 2011 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at City Roots urban sustainable farm.

Let's celebrate our famously hot local tomatoes, shall we?

(Images by Kara Shavo unless otherwise credited.)

Want to volunteer at the festival? Click here to sign up for a shift and a job:

http://tastytomatovolunteers.eventbrite.com/

Heirloom Tomato Tastings
The event will feature side-by-side tastings of commercially bred and raised tomatoes vs. locally grown heirloom varieties. Tasting is free and open to all ticketholders!

Image: EDonohue

Tasty Food & Drink by Top Artisan Producers
We'll also have music, food (including the Bone-In Artisan Barbecue on Wheels truck!), a cash bar with SC-brewed beer and more, a special early potluck, compostable party supplies wherever possible, games (see below), a Homegrown Tomato Contest and more!

The fabu kids art area courtesy of S & S Art Supply on Main St. returns!

Love S & S like we do? Join them in their emergency fundraising efforts!

The Return of Tomato Bobbing and Tomato Skee-Ball!
Tomato bobbing was a huge hit with the kids (and some adventurous adults) last year, and we were blown away by the popularity of the Chuck the Commercial Tomato Toss (a.k.a. Tomato Skee-Ball)!

Advance Discount Tickets
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Supporter tickets for 4:30pm tomato potluck are $20 (advance only; see below). Children under 12 free. We do expect pre-sale discount tickets to sell out, so hop on it today!

Tickets available online here:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/179417

Special Tomato Potluck for "Supporters" at 4:30pm
Also available (in advance only) is a special Supporter Ticket for $20. Supporters have the option to participate in a pre-festival Tomato Potluck Dinner from 4:30 - 5:30PM. Supporters bring a potluck tomato dish to share! Pre-sales for these tickets will end on Friday, July 15.

Enter the Homegrown Tomato Contest!
We'll be giving prizes in categories like "Best Red Tomato," "Best Non-red," "Best Unusual," "Best Small Tomato" and "Best Grown by a School/Church/Community Garden." To enter the Homegrown Tomato Contest, email or call Ryan Nevius at 803-381-8747 or ryan@sustainablemidlands.org.

Free 9pm Film Screening: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
Bring your camp chairs and picnic blankets; when it gets dark, we're going to show the legendary cult film, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! Screening is free and a very casual affair.

The Venue: City Roots Urban Sustainable Farm!
We have once again rented City Roots Urban Sustainable Farm, located at 1005 Airport Blvd Columbia, SC 29205 (adjacent to the Hamilton/Owens Downtown Airport). Come see the chickens and pesticide-free vegetables growing right in our city!

Join us!
Do you love tomatoes, music, good food + drink and old time festival fun? Passionate about living a sustainable lifestyle here in the Midlands and beyond? Come celebrate local food and the TOMATO, champion of the home garden!

Buy your tickets, you famously hot tomatoes, you. Why not?

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/179417
See you there!

Wild & Scenic Film Festival at 701 Whaley, Wed. April 27

2011-04-19T12:02:00.000-04:00

Huge thanks to everyone who made our first-ever "Slow Food at Indie Grits" kick-off party such a smashing success!

Feast your eyes on Jonathan Sharpe's GORGEOUS event photos:

http://www.facebook.com/?tid=2022094236496&sk=inbox#!/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150158997272707.301583.613107706

Thanks to all the new attendees at last night's monthly meeting! The energy was electric in our discussions about heirloom produce, Southern Foodways, ETV radio possibilities, even more upcoming event & partnership possibilities, and more!

MEANWHILE: Our next event is next week!

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival at 701 Whaley, Wed 4/27

A VERY cool film & food event next week, of which Slow Food Columbia is honored to be a big part!

Wild and Scenic Film Festival
Wednesday, April 27
5:30pm - 10:00pm
701 Whaley Street
Columbia, SC
Hosted by the Carolina Green Fair, Eventbrite

Founded in Nevada City, CA, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival is being brought to Columbia by Vanessa Driscoll (The Southern Greenie, V Events) and the Carolina Green Fair. Slow Food Columbia has been selected as one of the 7 local, green nonprofits to receive a sponsorship AND we got to pick one of the films!

More info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152953051434629

Join the Columbia Green Fair, Half Moon Outfitters, Conservation Voters of South Carolina and Sustainable Midlands in recognizing 41 years of Earth Day at this celebration of films at 701 Whaley Street. CPAC, PalmettoPride, The Nature Conservancy, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, Slow Food, Conservation Voters of South Carolina and Sustainable Midlands will present seven short films.

Order $10 advance tickets via Eventbrite:
http://wildand...sceniccolumbia-efbevent.eventbrite.com/

Tickets will be $15 at the door!

Silent Auction items will be available for bidding until 9:45
Drawings for gift bags from our national sponsors!
Doors will open at 5:30PM and Close at 10:00PM

6:35: “One Percent of the Planet” (15 min) - Conservation Voters of SC
1% for the Planet is a growing global movement of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.

7:00: “Brower Film Awards” (30 min) Sustainable Midlands
Earth Island Institute established the Brower Youth Awards to honor founder and legendary activist David R. Brower. The awards recognize six young people in North America annually for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental justice advocacy. Meet the 2010 winners: Ana Elisa Perez-Quintero, De’Anthony Jones, Freya Chay, Marcus Grignon, Misra Walker, Varsha Vijay7:03:

7:30: “Witness” (18 min) The Nature Conservancy
Notable anthropologist Jane Goodall, National Geographic Editor-at-Large Michael Nichols, and International League of Conservation Photographers president Cristina Mittermeier, among many others, share candid thoughts on the power of photography and its value as an effective conservation tool. The narrative is accompanied by stunning photographic contributions from over 40 conservation photographers to illustrate the convergence between the conservation and photography realms.

7:48 Intermission

8:00 “The Majestic Plastic Bag” (4 min) Palmetto Pride
Follow a plastic bag from supermarket to its final migratory destination in the Pacific Ocean gyre. Jeremy Irons narrates this mock nature documentary.

8:10 “Better Bones and Garden” (25 min) – Slow Food
Dan Phillips and Kipp Nash are remaking the common house and garden in wildly imaginative ways. They use cattle bones, wine corks, DVDs, and bottle caps as building materials, and lawns are transformed into lush, nutritious gardens. A whimsical story of how a little strife and change in attitude can lead us all to better homes and gardens.

8:40 “The Story of Bottled Water” (8 min) City of Columbia Climate Protection Advocacy Council
Why do Americans buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap? The film explores the bottled water industry’s attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces.

8:48 “Slow the Flow” (27 min) - The South Carolina Wildlife Federation
Follow a landscaper who shocks his neighbors by putting in native landscaping. Discover a school district that goes green. Meet a non-profit, which puts gardens in the city. The projects and approaches highlighted are very low-tech, cheap, and beautiful, making a good argument for kicking back

Food provided by LowCo BBQ and 116 State. Snacks provided by Annie's Naturals and Clif Bar. Cash bar for beer and wine will be available as well.

Special thanks to our Sponsors:

The Nickelodeon
Half-Moon Outfitters
Columbia Free Times
LowCo BBQ
116 State
Annie's Naturals
Sierra Nevada
Patagonia
Klean Kanteen
Clif Bar
Osprey
Grist

Order $10 advance tickets via Eventbrite:
http://wildand...sceniccolumbia-efbevent.eventbrite.com/

Tickets will be $15 at the door!

Slow Food at Indie Grits kickoff party, April 13!

2011-03-04T11:15:00.032-05:00

Join us for a very special sustainable* chefs' tasting party and hosted potluck w/beer, wine, and a critical mass of Columbia, SC's hottest food and sustainability luminaries!

[Plus: tix on sale now for Columbia SC's first-ever installment of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, April 27, 2011 at 701 Whaley!]

Slow Food at Indie Grits

Sustainable Chefs' Tasting Party & Hosted Potluck

Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011
6:30-9pm

Logo by Stitch Design

711 Whaley Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201

The All-Local Farmers Market building and veranda

$20 Slow Food and Nickelodeon members
$40 General Admission
Become a Slow Food member

$125 Festival pass w/6pm VIP entry (Festival Pass includes chance for a $500 chair sponsorship donated by Slow Food Columbia in your name at the new Nick!)

NEW TICKET LEVEL!
$50 members/$60 general

6pm entry and chance at $500 chair sponsorship!

To buy Indie Grits Festival Passes: http://bit.ly/ihBUJa

Our best, most conscientious restaurant chefs will serve up tastes of dishes made with at least one major ingredient that is not only locally -- but also sustainably -- produced:

Chef Mike Davis of Terra Restaurant

Chef/owner Kristian Niemi of Gervais and Vine and Rosso Trattoria

Chef Tim Peters of Motor Supply Co. Bistro

Chef Henry Griffin of Hunter-Gatherer Brewery and Alehouse

Chef/owner Ricky Mollohan of Mr. Friendly's, Cellar on Greene and Solstice Kitchen

Chef/owner Alex Suaudom du Monde of Baan Sawan Thai Bistro

Chef Andrew White of MoMo's Bistro

Chef Benoit St. Jacques of Rosewood Market and Deli
Chef Blake Faries of Saluda's Restaurant
Chef Ryan Whittaker of 116 Espresso and Wine Bar
Chef Steven Blitch of Tombo Grille

To round it all out: a hosted, sustainable potluck will be provided by our wonderful host committee:

USC's First Lady, Patricia Pastides
Free Times News Editor, Eva Moore
Caw Caw Creek and All-Local Farmers Mkt owner Emile DeFelice
Spotted Salamander Catering Chefs/owners Brad Weeks + Jessica Shillato
Jenks Farmer, plantsman
El Burrito/Suzi Cooker Catering Chef/owner Suzi Sheffield
Chef Joe Turkaly of RB’s Bodacious BBQ
undefined Magazine editor Cindi Boiter
Ryan Nevius, leader of Sustainable Midlands
Ann Timberlake, leader of the Conservation Voters of SC
Sugar Mama's Vegan Treats for the Soul owner Ivey Kaiser
Jenny Maxwell of Skirt! Magazine
Paul Grant of Freshly Grown Farms
701 CCA caterer Linda Phillips
Amanda Jones, co-owner, Doko Farm
Heidi Johnson, Keep the Midlands Beautiful
Renee Johnson of Terra Restaurant
Carrie Draper, community gardening advocate
Lucy Willms, PASOs Program
Claudia Seeger, art teacher + expert hostess
Scott Hall, Executive Chef, Bone-In Artisan BBQ on Wheels
All-Local Farmers Market manager Erin Curtis
Sara McGregor, Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands
Bill Lane, American Red Cross
Eric McClam, Farm Manager, City Roots Urban Farm
Slow Food Columbia members

The evening will be emceed by the one and only Anne Wolfe Postic, a.k.a. The Shop Tart -- she's been promoting sustainably produced foods, and the restaurants who serve them, for going on 3 years here in Columbia. Thanks, Anne!

Joining Anne as our Mistress of Ceremonies: ABC Columbia's wonderful anchor, Alicia Barnes!

Plus: A silent film made specifically for this event by USC students Karis West and Brittany Paul about our local, sustainable food community,

Live music will be served up by the Old Growth String Band, an assemblage of Americana enthusiasts with their fret-pressing fingers on the pulse of old time Appalachian music.

And: SC-brewed beers on tap, bargain-priced by our friends at The Whig!

AND: Bubbly tastings and wines courtesy of Barefoot Wines!

FURTHERMORE: LARRY'S CHAMPAGNE ROOM!
Get your 7 minutes in heaven with Larry Hembree.
Just $100 to enjoy a glass of bubbly with the butchest ED in town! (Champagne money goes straight to The Capital Campaign to Move the Nick to Main Street.) You know you want to.

Get your tickets fast, and spread the word to all of your Slow Food and Nickelodeon-loving friends.

Tickets will definitely sell out quickly!

*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?

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

http://www.indiegrits.com

Huge thanks to the All-Local Farmer's Market; Richard Burts, Tom Chinn, and 701 Whaley; The Shop Tart; ABC Columbia's Alicia Barnes; as well as Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork and Barefoot Wines!

And big thanks to Doko Farm's Amanda Jones for connecting restaurateurs with farmers for this event, as well as big thanks to Vanessa Driscoll of V Events/The Southern Greenie and the Carolina Green Fair (Oct. 22) for donating thousands of compostable, cornstarch tasting cups! Thank you to Rosewood Market and Deli for helping us get our compostable drink cups, forks, plates, etc, too!

Historic 701 Whaley

p.s. Bring donations for The Food Boutique to the party if you can!

The Food Boutique serves as a haven, welcoming clients for return visits as long as they have a need, but believes if you “give a woman a can of soup she’ll eat for a day, but teach a woman extreme couponing and she’ll feed her family for a lifetime.“ At the core of Food Boutique’s mission is to empower clients to move past one’s difficult situations. After several visits, return clients are required to provide proof they have participated in an “Extreme Couponing 101” workshop and give back a small amount of “sweat-equity.” The Food Boutique is currently located at the Shoppes at Woodhill near Target off Garners Ferry Road and can be contacted at fbcolumbia@gmail.com or at www.healthyfoodboutique.com.

BRING: Non-perishable healthy food items (especially- low-salt, low-cholesterol, and/or low-sugar foods, anything nonperishable that is “all natural,” anything that can suit diets for folks with allergies, as in, gluten, wheat, or dairy-free foods; and healthy staples such as: rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa, (and any other grains), dried and/or canned beans, tomatoes, corn; flour, sugar, salt,…etc.), paper products, personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies, baby food, baby diapers and baby wipes.

Eat, Drink & Be Local and BuySC!

2011-02-11T16:28:00.002-05:00

We've partnered on a free action campaign with the SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce called Eat, Drink & Be Local!

Lots of dining holidays are coming up, including Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Graduation, and Father's Day, and we want to help encourage diners to choose restaurants that are independently and locally owned. Spread the word!

(Did you see us in Eva Moore's Free Times "Chew on This" column? So excited that the word is spreading!)

Any restaurant or business who would like to participate can simply download this poster*, print it and put it up. You can also add it to your website, Facebook page, etc. -- anywhere you like!

Poster design: Karen Williford Scurry

*How to download this poster image:

1. Click on the poster; this will take you to a page with just the poster image.

2. Right click on the poster and select "Save image as" or "Save as" to save the image file (it is a .JPG file) into the file of your choice on your hard drive.

3. Now it is yours to upload, print, blog, post on Facebook and distribute as you like!

FOR A HIGH-RES PDF (best for printing on paper or enlarging to 2' x 3' poster size; thank you Lynne!):

It's easy! Visit http://www.buysc.org to download the .PDF version there!

Note: Please do not alter the image file in any way beyond simple resizing. Thank you.

Save the date! The 2nd annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival, July 17, 2011!

2011-01-23T11:01:00.001-05:00

The 2nd Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival is ON for a midsummer night's tomato-ey dream. Along with our presenting partner Sustainable Midlands and our venue partner City Roots: Your In-Town Sustainable Farm, we here at Slow Food Columbia have set a date to get our 'mater on!

Save the date:

Sunday, July 17, 2011!

We're so excited about this year's festival! It'll be on Sunday evening July 17, 6-9pm, so our chef and restaurant friends can come!

What kinds of heirloom tomatoes will you be growing this year for the Homegrown Tomato Contest?

What locally-grown tomato recipe are you going to make for the tomato potluck?

You gonna do some tomato bobbing this year? Play Chuck-the-Commercial-Tomato skee ball?

Got ideas for event elements we should include?

Want to volunteer in exchange for free admission?

Know partners/vendors with whom we should be working?

Leave a comment and let us know!

City Roots farm now offering CSA boxes!

2011-01-05T19:41:00.003-05:00

Happy new year to our Slow Food community here in the Midlands!

Have you heard that City Roots urban sustainable farm is offering a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) box this Spring?

Spots are filling up fast, apparently, so we wanted to put the word out! For more info, call or email the farm:

1005 Airport Blvd • Columbia, SC • 29205 • 803.254.2302 • cityroots@cityroots.org

2011 CSA Seasons:

Spring: April 27-June 15

Summer: June 29-August 17

Fall: September 7-October 26

The Kings of Pastry dessert tasting, Dec. 14

2010-12-07T13:06:00.003-05:00

The Kings of Pastry! This is going to be cool. We thought our Slow Food community might like to know about this groovy event being held at The Nickelodeon on Dec. 14 at 6pm:

Back by popular demand, this film is a dandy for foodies. Local arts denizen Jean Denman has organized a fab dessert tasting party and talkback with local pastry chefs and sparkling wine!

Treats from Chocolate Nirvana, Motor Supply, Cupcake, and The Pie Girl; bubbly from Morganelli's; and a panel w/the sage Kaitlin Ohlinger (a.k.a. the Wine Snob) from Cellar on Greene, Patrick Wagner of the Culinary Institute of the Carolinas, and the ridiculously talented Travis Weatherford of the Immaculate Consumption!

Check it out and buy tix at the Nickelodeon Theatre's website:

We love our local Slow Food community!

Happy holidays and thank you to everyone who bought tickets to the Southeastern Cheesemakers wine and cheese tasting this Friday -- it has sold out! Woo hoo!

Congress passes child nutrition improvements!

2010-12-02T17:26:00.002-05:00

Victory! Letter from Slow Food USA President Josh Viertel:

What a day for American children and parents - today Congress signed into law the first significant improvements to child nutrition and school lunches.

I wanted to write to you to say thank you and congratulations - this wouldn't have been possible without a movement mobilized to make our food better for all.

Over 160,000 of you stood up for child nutrition. Whether you signed our petition, emailed or called your legislators, attended one of over 300 'Eat Ins' in all 50 states, donated to the Time For Lunch campaign, or even talked to your neighbors about the issue, your actions will mean children across the country get safer, healthier food.

At a time when we know that the food we feed our children will cause one in three of them to develop diabetes, and when obesity levels are at an all-time high, this legislation is an important step towards creating a better future for American children.

This is what happens when people come together to take action on the issues they care about. In the end this Bill is far from perfect, and has involved large compromises, but this is a great achievement towards our end goal of making kids healthier.

For months, this law hung on a knife's edge as powerful opponents tried to prevent its passage. In the end, the actions of you and people like you meant Congress could no longer ignore the will of the people, and could stand up to the powerful interests pressuring them to kill this bill.

Today, Congress helped make children healthier. Congratulations to you, and to all our partners in our 'Time For Lunch' campaign. Please share your thoughts on our blog.

Thanks for making it happen,
Josh Viertel, President Slow Food USA

PS - If you'd like to donate to help make sure our movement is always mobilized to stand together to defend the values we share, please click here - none of this would be possible without your support: https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5986/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3187

Slow Food USA and the Slow Food USA Logo are registered trademarks of Slow Food USA.
20 Jay Street, Suite M04 Brooklyn, NY 11201 Tel: 718 260-8000 or 877 SlowFoo(d) Fax: 718 260-8068 info@slowfoodusa.org

Southern Cheesemakers Wine & Cheese Tasting, 12/10!

2010-11-24T01:47:00.006-05:00

Friday, December 10
6-8pm
Historic 701 Whaley
$20 members/$25 non-members
Co-presented by Slow Food Columbia and Sustainable Midlands

Greetings!

Please join us on Friday, December 10th from 6-8pm at 701 Whaley as we enjoy artisanal cheeses from the Southeast!

We will be featuring cow, sheep and goat cheeses from these dairies:

Sweet Grass Dairy, Georgia, (Cow,Thomasville Tomme, Asher Blue,Camembert)

Flat Creek, Georgia (Cow, Aged Cheddars, Blue)

Evorana Dairy, North Carolina (Sheep, Piedmont, Stonyman)

Locust Grove Farm, Tennessee (Sheep,Galloway)

The cheeses will be compared with compatible wines from US vineyards. This is Slow Food Columbia's first artisan cheese tasting, and it's a great excuse to get together for a little holiday cheer!

Big thanks to Slow Food enthusiasts Anna Redwine and Mary Roe for working with Slow Food Chapter Leader Kristen DuBard and Sustainable Midlands leader Ryan Nevius to make this happen!

And kudos to Richard Burts and Tom Chinn at Historic 701 Whaley (pictured, right) for being so supportive of progressive culture in the Midlands and beyond. Thank you!

Click here to buy tickets via secure transaction at Brown Paper Tickets.
$20 for Slow Food members; $25 for non-members.

This is truly a unique event, and we are sure to sell out fast!

Slow Food Columbia

slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com
http://www.slowfoodcolumbia.org

Membership special extended until November 30th!
Click here to join Slow Food for only $25!

How this Thai-Carolinian Chef Keeps it Lean and Green

2010-11-17T14:26:00.045-05:00

Our latest guest blog was contributed by Executive Chef Alex Suaudom du Monde, who runs the well-loved Baan Sawan Thai Bistro with his erudite, oenotherapist brother Sam and their parents on Devine St. in the Five Points district of Columbia, SC. It's a well-known fact that his green curry ahi tuna is a thing of beauty, but we didn't realize that the restaurant has a private, boutique herb and chile pepper garden that is grown just for them, or that they use melted bar well ice and rain barrels to water their plants. Read below for more Slow thoughts from this Thai-Carolinian restaurateur. Thanks, Chef Alex!

It's a challenge to run an ethnic niche restaurant on the other side of the planet from the ecosystem where the recipes were first developed. Sourcing ingredients is always an exercise in creativity.

But in our tiny, family run bistro, the volume is not so overwhelming that we can't still use many of the same techniques that we used at home when I was growing up.

We try to grow as many of our own ingredients as possible, with the same philosophy that guides our menu. In terms of méthode, we deconstruct traditional recipes, then execute them with classical and modern techniques.

In terms of gardening, we grow lemon grass, kaffir lime (for the leaves), a variety of peppers, basil and so forth, all while adhering to FDA & DHEC guidelines.

But with some things, it does seem everything old is new again. In the old country, I remember the huge, clay cisterns my uncle had spaced along the corners of the house, used to capture and store rainwater for household use.

Here, we use modern rain catchment techniques to help water our garden. Inside the restaurant, we re-use the melted, leftover ice at the end of the night to water plants in the dining room.

It may not be much, but it adds up, and it's water that would otherwise go down the drain. It's just the way we did things, growing up, and nowadays people call it using gray water, reducing your carbon footprint, etc.

(The pic is from when my wife Raiessa & I attended a rain-barrel making workshop put on by the Clemson extension. There's another one 11 Dec; Build-a-Rain Barrel Workshop, Clemson Sandhills REC. The kid, by the way, is helping us tighten the spigot in the barrel.)

I'm a purist when it comes to certain things. I like my bourbon neat, my beers dark, my calibers .45 and I'm not a fan of kitchen gadgets. It's like when I first learned to shoot; I asked one of the old salts at the range what he thought about laser sights. "Learn to shoot!" he said. I'll never forget the twinkle in his eye or the harrumph in his voice, when he said that.

I'm the same way in the kitchen, now. I'd much, much rather use a knife than a food processor. (And incidentally, it's that much less electricity that I use. Again, every little bit helps, right?)

A couple of times a week I have to shred a counter full of heads of cabbage for spring rolls, and it's so much more of a pure experience to use a knife rather than a processor. I have much more control, and I feel so much more in tune with my ingredients. I like to hear and feel the crunch as the knife makes the cut. It's just so...satisfying.

But it's a busy world full of work and not much time in which to do it, so I will, regretfully, sometimes use a mandoline or a machine. I still don't own a laser sight, though. And if someone were to ask me what I thought of, say, a VeggieChop Vegetable Chopper, I'll tell them to learn to cut.

Here we have a mortar & pestle. I've used the same one for years and years, now, just like my dad did, and I use it to make ingredients for many of my dishes.

It grinds and macerates peppercorns, garlic, coriander etc together in such a way that the flavors blend and layer, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

A processor would create a paste, which is alright, I guess, or a lot of little bits like the garlic you can buy in fat, glass jars, which is not alright. The mortar & pestle creates an effect I think of as similar to when you make a nice stew, and it's better the next day. Why is that? I think it's because the flavors have time to mature together, which is an effect the mortar & pestle facilitates especially well.

I was born in Washington DC, but I've lived here in Columbia, South Carolina since I was three. That makes it thirty-six years, now. And as an asian growing up in the deep south, I can tell you whole-heartedly that right here, right now is an exciting time to be living here.

The last few years have seen Columbia moving forward in ways I could not seriously have imagined in the previous thirty.

There are so many dedicated, talented people doing fascinating, creative things in Columbia, like Ben at City Roots farm, in the pic at right.

It's not that these people weren't here before, I don't think. It's more that there's a growing community that seeks to bring them together and put them to work in ways that move Columbia in the direction we want it to go.

It's something I believe that South Carolina desperately needs, and I'm proud to be a part of it, in my own quirky little way.

--Alex Suaudom du Monde, exec chef baan sawan thai bistro

Food and Music Synergy: Is there such a thing?

2010-11-05T09:02:00.018-04:00

Hi all,
The following stems from a blog I just wrote, but I'd also appreciate any feedback through the survey link at the end of this blog.
Thanks,
Sarah Quick
Slow Food Columbia guest blogger

Food and Music Synergy: Is there such a thing?
I've recently been considering the food movement research I have been doing against musical ideals and preferences. Initially, I had basically compartmentalized my research interests, only joining the food research in a very vague way to other previous research interests in the way heritage is conceived.

However, this year's Society for Ethnomusicology meetings spurred me on to explore food and music as possibly not so separate spheres of action and thought. I saw a call for papers by graduate student Andrew Mark asking panelists to consider "Sound Ecology?: Theories, Places and Parallels for Ecomusicology," and I decided to do a last minute proposal for a paper idea. Besides allowing me to explore my recent research interests in a different way, this panel has introduced me to "ecomusicology" as a concept. Another provocative and entertaining connection between music and food that has come my way of late: The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra.

So my recent research has been pretty exploratory, involving my participation as a fiddler with my friend Amy on guitar at the All Local Farmer's Market in Columbia and interviews. Quoting my earlier paper abstract, I seek to understand the social and cultural relationships between these food and musical sensibilities. Are these intersections recognized? If so, how do these practitioners view such relationships—as spurious, as central, as metaphorical? Does their musical praxis reflect, refract or obscure their ideological stances regarding sustainability and ecological matters?

Another way I have started "collecting data" is through a survey instrument. If you are at anyway active in the local and/or Slow Food movement in the Columbia region of South Carolina, please take the survey! It should take you less than 10 minutes, and you can always "opt out" once inside.

Here's the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9F7XTQY

Renovated Building Ready for All-Local Farmers' Market

2010-10-14T15:28:00.008-04:00

Renovated Market Building at 701 Whaley

It had been two weeks since I'd looked in on the renovations for the All-Local Farmers' Market. I'd told Tracie I'd write about the market's Grand Re-opening, so I biked over at lunch today to check it out. The market will be in the building this Saturday. 701 Whaley manager Tom Chinn was doing a little cleaning up when I got there.

Wood recycled from 701 Whaley beams

Inside, serious progress from two weeks ago. Along the lower back wall, wood paneling has been installed. Tom told me the wood was recycled from beams that had been in 701 Whaley. Floral & Hardy had also been over, working on their new booth.

Garage doors installed across front

The arched garage doors are in and you can see how much more natural light there will be, even if the doors are lowered.

Posts also made from old beams

The addition of a porch across the front of the building is really wonderful.

Tom pointed out a couple of details--more 701 Whaley beams re-purposed to support the porch roof and as newels.

Tom Chinn, not wanting
his picture taken btw.

The market will be here on Saturday, regular hours 8am-noon, but with extra activities to celebrate moving back in--cooking demonstrations by Kristian Niemi and The Flying Foodie and S.C.-brewed beer on the house, from Thomas Creek Brewery, to toast the new space.

If you need more information, you can find it at stateplate.org or on Facebook .

Pumpkins at Heyward & Queen

On my way home, I rode by a pretty darned appealing pumpkin "patch," sort of a mini pumpkin museum.

It's at the church on the corner of Heyward and Queen in Shandon. Pumpkins are for sale; if no one's there, you can use their self-serve honor system.

--Jenny Maxwell

50 Green Resources for Eco-Friendly Schools

2010-10-13T12:04:00.001-04:00

We received a tip-off on this terrific list of 50 online resources for eco-friendly schools from http://www.bestcollegesonline.net/blog/2010/50-online-resources-for-eco-friendly-schools/.

Take a look!

50 Online Resources for Eco-Friendly Schools
"Schools produce lots of things – honor roll students, star athletes, influential teachers and some of the largest amounts of waste. Educational settings have been known to waste energy, food, water and paper on a daily basis."

"Thanks to the ongoing green movement, many schools now understand their impact on the environment and how it can be improved. Today’s eco-friendly schools are sustainable, energy efficient and better for the planet. With baby steps and big efforts, any school can transform into an eco-friendly environment and become an example for other institutions."

"Here are 50 online resources for eco-friendly schools:

Environmental News
These environmental news sites and blogs will keep students and educators up to date on sustainability, energy efficiency and other environmental issues affecting schools.
The Daily Green.
The Daily Green is your one-stop source for green news and sustainable practices you can try at your school.
Grist.
Environmental news site, Grist, discusses environmental sustainability, climate change and living green.
E Magazine.
E Magazine is a bimonthly publication that focuses on environmental news and resources for green living.
Planetsave.
Planetsave provides going-green tips and environmental news to keep you up to date.
U.S. Green Building Council.
Learn about how your school could get LEED certified and read news about other green school buildings."

Read about the other 45 here: http://www.bestcollegesonline.net/blog/2010/50-online-resources-for-eco-friendly-schools/

Our next Slow Food Columbia meeting will be this Monday, October 18 at 6:30pm at City Roots Farm, 1005 Airport Blvd, Columbia, SC 29205. Come join us!

A Visit to Sandhill Farmers' Market in Northeast Columbia

2010-10-11T12:53:00.005-04:00

Hello all,

This is Sarah Quick writing, a semi-recent member of Slow Food Columbia. Below is something I just posted in my own site, "Dear Folks and Anthropology," a blog that I basically started 2 years ago but left sitting for various reasons.

SFC events manager and blog administrator Tracie Broom recently invited me to post here at the Slow Food Columbia blog, and I thought the Sandhill Farmers' Market might interest some...

Almost every Tuesday, I visit the Sandhill Farmers' Market, run through Clemson University's Sandhill site, across from the new outdoor shopping mall at the Village at Sandhill.

They offer gardening advice from master gardners as well as information to vendors and shoppers.

Because of my Northeast location in Columbia, the Sandhill market has been more readily accessible than other farmers markets. I also like what I can get there: artisan bread (Heather's), SC shrimp, goat cheese and other local SC meats, honey and a larger variety of fruits and vegetables (some organic and some chemical free) depending on the season. Also available are organic soaps, boiled peanuts, and flowers as well as yummy kettle corn and toffee.

Vendors are required to have a certain amount of locally produced food/crafts to be able to sell there.

My usual purchases are the SC shrimp (soo good) from "the Shrimp Guy, LLC" and bread as well as some fruit and vegetables. Sometimes I don't eat a substantial lunch, so I might splurge on the yummy kettle corn while shopping.

This past Tuesday, Oct. 5th, I visited the market with a camera in tow. Besides the normal shrimp purchase, I decided to try some garlic brats from Old McCaskill's Farm.

I always like walking by this vendor because of the beautiful wool items for sale.

That's all for now, but see Susan Slack's excellent A Taste of Carolina blog for more pictures and recipes of September fare at this market.

Note: You can still join Slow Food for the reduced price of $25 (normally $60) through October 22, 2010!

Lower your energy costs at home/office: Free public seminar 10/18!

2010-09-25T17:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks again to Sustainable Midlands' Ryan Nevius for spearheading such great public programs on greening our homes and workplace environments! The RCPL composting workshops were a smash sellout success. Next up:

Monday, October 18th at 6PM in Columbia, SC:

Free public seminar on how to reduce your energy costs at home and in the office! Attendees will learn the most effective techniques to save money on building energy costs, and who can help get the job done.

Sustainable Midlands, The United States Green Business Council (USGBC), Midlands Chapter and the South Carolina Energy Office are joining together to offer this seminar to Midlands residents and small businesses.

"Techniques, Technologies & To Do's: Solutions to lowering your energy costs at home & in the office"

Monday, October 18
6pm, Free
The Olympia Room at the 701 Whaley building (upstairs/2nd floor)
701 Whaley Street
Columbia, South Carolina, 29201

For more information and to reserve your free seat today:

Email your RSVP to Ryan Nevius at ryan@sustainable midlands.org or call 803-381-8747.

Potluck lunch + Boys & Girls Club crop mob, Sat. Sept. 25!

2010-09-18T11:33:00.000-04:00

Follow Slow Food Columbia

Slow Food Columbia Blog

Facebook

THIS MONTH ONLY: Join Slow Food for only $25! The annual September low-cost membership drive is on. Click here to get in on the cheap! Usually $60! (Through Sept. 30, 2010.)

Monthly Meeting
Monday, September 20th
6:30 pm, City Roots Farm
and
DIG IN! Crop Mob & Potluck
Saturday, September 25th

Greetings Everyone!

I hope you all can make to our monthly meeting on Monday. We will be discussing our potluck lunch event on Saturday, September 25 at City Roots Farm. We still need volunteers and home chefs to help out!

Please know that if you would rather dig than cook, come on down to the Boys and Girls Club by Memorial Stadium in Rosewood on Saturday morning!

If you would rather cook than dig, feel free to bring or drop off your potluck dish to City Roots!

If you want to do both, hurrah!

Below are the details for the event. Please email slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com with any and all questions!

"Everyday people have the power to change the world, and have a great time while doing it. Our
food system's broken, and it's up to us to fix it, so let's dig in."

Join Slow Food Columbia, Boys and Girls Club Families and City Roots Farm as we create a butterfly garden at the Boys and Girls Club Ben Arnold Center.

The garden will complement the center's organic community garden and pioneer "seed to table" programing done at the center. The kids at Ben Arnold won the Best Tomato grown by a Community Garden at our recent Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival!

Everyone will then enjoy a tour of City Roots farm, and Slow Food Columbia will provide a potluck lunch for all participants!

Below is the schedule for the day of the event. Please respond to slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com so that we can plan the potluck.

Volunteer Schedule for Sat., Sept. 25:

8:45-12 noon: work at Ben Arnold Center constructing garden.

The Boys & Girls Club
1100 S.Holly St

Columbia, SC 29205

12 noon: tour of City Roots

12:15: lunch provided by Slow Food Columbia volunteers for the Boys and Girls Club families at City Roots Farm

Please bring a potluck dish to feed approximately 20 people. As many of our guests will be working families, please choose an easy to make dish with at least one local/in season ingredient and a recipe card.

See you there!

Free composting classes in September at RCPL!

2010-08-25T10:30:00.000-04:00

This is a great opportunity to brush up on composting with experts! Big thanks to Sustainable Midlands for coordinating!

Free Composting Classes For Richland County Residents

In 60 minutes you can learn how easy it is to turn grass clippings, yard waste and kitchen scraps into a rich soil amendment.

You will receive a free composting booklet and a free wire composting bin!

(Registration instructions below)

Course Includes:

¬ Why compost

¬ What to compost

¬ Method: Slow or Fast

¬ What system works best for YOU?

¬ How to use finished compost

¬ Frequently asked composting questions

Classes Offered the following Thursday evenings and Saturdays:

September 2^nd 6:30PM

Parklane Adult Activity Center

7494 Parklane Road, Columbia SC 29233

September 4^th 10AM

North Springs Park Building,

1320 Clemson Road, Columbia, SC 29229

September 9^th 6:30PM

Richland County Library SE Regional Branch

7421 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209

September 11^th 9:00AM

Richland County Library, St Andrews Regional

2916 Broad River Road Columbia, SC 29210

September 16^th 6:30PM

Bible Way Church Fellowship Hall

440 Atlas Road Columbia, SC 29209

Compost Exhibit at Forest Acres Green Living Festival on September 25^th from 10AM to 4PM at Forest Lake Presbyterian Church, 6500 North Trenholm Road Columbia, 29206

To register for your free class or for more information send email to:

ryan@sustainablemidlands.org

Presented By: Sustainable Midlands &

Richland County Master Gardeners Association

Sponsored By: Richland County Solid Waste Department

Tasty Tomato Fest recap + monthly mtg this Monday!

2010-08-14T12:40:00.000-04:00

Come to our monthly meeting this Monday, August 16, 2010, at 6:30pm at City Roots Farm. All are welcome![And if you have any feedback/constructive criticism on the new blog/site redesign, we're hoping you'll let us know!]

And...

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who pitched in with their time, effort, dollars, goods, services, talents, and presence to make the first-ever Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival such a smashing success! We've already started planning next year's tomato festival. Got ideas? Want to work with us? Let us know!

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Here is a brilliant set of festival photos by the Free Times' utterly talented, foodie photojournalist, Jonathan Sharpe: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/album.php?aid=194790&id=613107706

[Cola native Will Gettys of Cyberwoven web design and his son Eli, pictured right, invited their new neighbors (who'd just moved to Columbia from Austin, TX). Welcome, awesome new friends!]

Here’s a little recap, below, as well as links to our new website, FB page, pics, and press!

The new official website/blog for the annual festival: http://www.tastytomatofest.org

Come click “Like” on our new Facebook page to stay in the loop for next year: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Palmetto-Tasty-Tomato-Festival/130974410280003

View photos of the 2010 festival by Slow Food Columbia events manager Tracie Broom (The Yum Diary): http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=16629285309&v=photos&ref=ts

A fab post about the 2010 festival at The Shop Tart: http://theshoptart.com/?p=777

Terrific coverage in The State Newspaper: http://www.thestate.com/2010/08/05/1403589/tasty-tomato-heirloom-variety.html

A sweet recap by Eva Moore in The Free Times with a photo by Jonathan Sharpe: http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064202144&ShowArticle_ID=11011108103799118

Festival coverage on WACH-Fox 57: http://www.midlandsconnect.com/news/story.aspx?id=494011

Interview on Frank Knapp's radio show, U Need to Know, on WOIC: http://www.uneed2know.info/Tracie%20Broom%20and%20Ryan%20Nevius%208-4-10.mp3

We love our wonderful, fun-loving, conscientious food community here in the Midlands!

More photos from the festival: http://www.facebook.com/traciebroom?v=photos#!/album.php?id=547732303&aid=192958

image: T. Broom

Join/donate to/volunteer with Slow Food Columbia!

Become a member of the Columbia, SC chapter of the international non-profit organization, Slow Food, and join in the mission to support "Good, Clean and Fair" foodways in our local communities.

The all-volunteer Columbia chapter is run via collaboration between the board, local Slow Food members, and volunteerslike Anna Redwine and Claudia Seeger! (right)

image: T. Broom

Donate to/volunteer with Sustainable Midlands!

This coalition of non-profit organizations in the Midlands provides education and facilitates communication among citizens and community leaders about creating communities that have clean air and water and support principles of sustainability.

The coalition is coordinated by Master Gardener Ryan Nevius (left), in collaboration with the organization's steering committee and volunteers.

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Volunteer with City Roots Farm!

The 2.8-acre urban farm, located next to Owens Field, produces sustainably grown products like farmed tilapia, microgreens and heirloom vegetables, while educating the community about the benefits of locally grown food, composting, vermicomposting and other environmentally friendly farming practices.

The farm, inspired by Will Allen's Growing Power urban farm initiative in Milwaukee, WI, is owned and worked daily by the McClam family of Columbia, SC (right), in collaboration with Five Leaves Farm co-owner Ben DuBard and volunteers.

Got suggestions for event elements at next year's Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival? Tasty tomato recipes? Comment below!

2010 FESTIVAL RECAP!

[Reposted from the official Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival website]

image: T. Broom

The multi-generational crowd at the 2010 Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival enjoyed a bushel of fun times, starting with a side-by-side tasting of commercially bred vs. locally grown heirloom tomato varieties, some sourced affordably for us by Kev at Rosewood Market and some donated by heirloom specialist Rodger Winn (with tasty baguette slices and centerpieces donated by Earth Fare), as well as a Homegrown Tomato Contest with local foodie celeb judges.

Image: Jonathan Sharpe

With its rich agricultural history, hot climate, and strong community of international heirloom enthusiasts, South Carolina produces some crazy looking, delicious tasting tomatoes.

Check out this chocolate striper -- part of the 30-40lb donation from Rodger's Heirlooms in Little Mountain.

image: T. Broom

Live bluegrass music was provided very generously by two fantastic local bands, Jack McGregor & Debbie Daniel of Slap Wore Out & their buddies (left), who played first, and The Plowboys (below right), who rounded out the evening.

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Nothing like some old-time tunes to put you in the mood for having fun on the farm, right?

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Folks went crazy for tomato bobbing (w/color commentary by Plowboys leader and SMOKE BBQ co-owner Tom Hall).

This young lady, who volunteers frequently at City Roots, was "like a piranha," it was proclaimed, in her tomato bobbing prowess!

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Local artist Amanda Ladymon and S&S Art Supply owner Eric Stockard celebrated their recent move to a Main Street storefront (a few doors down from the Nickelodeon's future Fox Theater home) by running a wonderful kids' art table.

Thanks guys!

image: The Shop Tart

Meanwhile, local design/print superstars The Half and Half (chef/designer Thomas Jennings, firm co-principal Nick Wilson, and Thomas' cool lady Annie Ellis, pictured left to right) came and sold sets of heir tomato festival posters -- the art print versions!
The limited edition run of 50 art print festival posters sold out within 3 days, but they should still have some of the ltd. ed. run of 100 small, square tomato art prints, all designed by Thomas.

He is currently working on two supplementary art print editions, one of garlic and one of an onion, so that tomato print owners can procure a full set of kitchen art prints (for the holidays?!)

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Other fave festival activities included feeding fish food to the 1500 farmed tilapia in City Roots' greenhouse (they should be large enough to sell to the public by December 2010 or so!), and checking out the "Chicken Okra Forest" -- where the farm's now-legal flock of hens live amongst a field of bushy, prolific Clemson Spineless okra plants.

image: T. Broom

Plenty of festivalgoers whipped out their throwing arms for the wildly popular “Chuck the Commercial Tomato” skee-ball game.

You could hear the "WHHHOMP" of tomatoes hitting their 5-gallon targets all the way from the Pole Bean Tee-Pee!

Image: T. Broom

Using 100% corn PLA compostable drink cups, the bar served SC-made Thomas Creek and RJ Rockers beers, sustainably packaged wine, NC-grown roasted peanuts from Cromer’s, and homemade Bloody Marys made with local honey, molasses, and spices by Brad Weeks (left) of Spotted Salamander catering (who swiftly sold out of their amazing tomato pies as well).

Image: T. Broom

The Tomato Recipe Showcase potluck supper was a huge success, too – it was jam-packed with goodies and utterly delicious.

image: T. Broom

Major thanks to key Slow Food volunteers like Debi Schadel, Lucy Willms and Chris Reid for keeping things in order in there and washing what seemed like a truckload of potluck dishes!

Huge thanks to other Slow Food, Sustainable Midlands and City Roots volunteers, without whom we really couldn't have pulled this off: Slow Food members Renee Johnson, Jana Fredericks and Claudia Seeger kept the tomato tasting table afloat witih 140+ lbs of freshly sliced heirlooms.

image: T. Broom

Renee's husband Jim worked with Amanda and Joe Jones of Doko farm to ensure that the tomato skee ball was major fun and fancy free; and Columbia Design League president Anna Redwine engineered the event signage (with a little help from Betsy Kaemmerlen, Slow Food chapter leader Kristen DuBard, Slow Food events manager Tracie Broom, and Sustainable Midlands head Ryan Nevius!)

image: T. Broom

The registration tent was staffed graciously by Slow Food Columbia Treasurer and board member Nancy McCormick, her daughter, and others like Slow Food member Katie Reid.

The McGregor family and Tom Hall made sure we had P.A. equipment for announcements, music, and A/V; and Slow Foodie Christine Adair stepped in to take care of whatever had slipped through the cracks. Talk about some great Carolinians!

image: T. Broom

Free Times photojournalist and food writer Jonathan Sharpe (left, with Chef Joe Turkaly, who brought a gorgeous ceviche for the potluck!) donated his time and his talent to document the festival, as did local photog (and PC College math professor!) Kara Shavo. Thanks guys!

The suggested donation bar was manned by Brad Weeks, Ryan Nevius' terrific husband Barry, City Roots volunteer Megan Leppla and her rad Dreher Island ranger sweetie.

Furthermore, City Roots farm manager/Slow Food board member Eric McClam put in a call to his brother, who very generously dropped everything and brought a team of friends to come and sweat it out over the beer coolers all evening. Thank you all so much!

Image reposted via The Shop Tart

Meanwhile, local stonemason/sculptor Jefferson Jay Hubbell dreamed up and executed a flawless, purist version of a Make-Your-Own-Tomato-Sandwich table, complete with plain jane white bread, Duke’s mayo and thick, juicy yellow/red German Striper tomatoes sourced by Kevin at Rosewood Market. (Thanks, Kev!)

Jay's trusty colleagues, Tim Simmons of Thomas Cooper Library and Dickson Monk of BCL/Manly Publishing provided backup, comedy, and camaraderie.

image: Jonathan Sharpe

What a blast!

image: Jonathan Sharpe

The festival was such a great way to honor our local green thumbs, farmers, chefs and foodies for choosing local, eco-friendly, organic, and socially just foodways.

Have you met Kristen DuBard (right), Slow Food Columbia's new chapter leader?

When the Cola chapter founder, the wonderful Cerelle Centeno, relocated to her hometown of NYC earlier in 2010, she tapped Kristen -- a Cola native, local farmer, mother of two, web content/IT specialist and all-around groovy lady -- to lead the nonprofit organization.

Come say hey to Kristen and other Slow Food Cola members at the monthly chapter meeting, held every 3rd Monday at 6:30pm at City Roots Farm!

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Awards were presented by festival founder Ryan Nevius (the esteemed head of Sustainable Midlands) for the best tomato grown by local gardeners in a number of categories.

[Don’t forget: contest entrants all get 20% off at Spotted Salamander!]

Motor Supply Co. GM (and big-time Slow Food supporter) Eddie Wales & his family, above, took 2 prizes for their tasty homegrown 'maters, including some black cherry tomatoes that got The Shop Tart hooked on black heirloom tomato varieties. Congrats, guys!

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Thanks again to our local celeb judges who gathered to officiate the 2010 Homegrown Tomato Contest!

Belinda Gergel, Columbia City Council
Richard Burts, Historic 701 Whaley
Ann Timberlake, Conservation Voters of SC
Frank Knapp, SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce (right)
Amanda McNulty, SC ETV's "Making it Grow," Clemson Extension
Rodger Winn, Heirloom seed maestro
Jenks Farmer, Horticulturist and permaculture expert
Emile DeFelice, All-Local Farmer's Market at 701 Whaley & Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork
Eva Moore, The Free Times (above, left)

Reposted via The Shop Tart

Anne Postic, The Shop Tart (left)
Alicia Barnes, ABC news anchor (right)
Chef Tim Peters of Motor Supply Co. Bistro
Chef Mike Davis of Terra Restaurant (above, center)
Chef Ricky Mollohan, chef/owner Mr. Friendly’s, Solstice Kitchen & Cellar on Greene
Kristian Niemi, owner of Rosso and Gervais & Vine Restaurants
Tom and Julie Hall, owners of SMOKE Southern BBQ Revival
Sean Hanley of MoMo’s Bistro
Julie Culclasure of Blue Cactus Cafe
Chef Alex Suaudom du Monde of Baan Sawan Thai Bistro
Chef Joe Turkaly of Doc's Gumbo Grille
Chef Benoit St. Jacques of Rosewood Market

Special thanks to our 2010 sponsors! City Roots Farm, Laurie Aker and the staff at Earth Fare, Basil, Benoit, Kev, Katie and the staff at Rosewood Market, low-cost local printers Copy Pickup, our local lowest-price mushroom compost source Carolina Eastern over on Shop Rd., City Roots neighbors Southern Vistas Garden Center, Mill Creek Greenhouses, Rebekah's Garden, Rodger's Heirlooms, 701 CCA, 701 Whaley, The Nickelodeon, Jack McGregor + Debbie Daniel of Slap Wore Out, Tom Hall + the Plowboys, and The Half and Half letterpress design + printing (how about those gorgeous event posters by designer + Mr. Friendly's chef Thomas Jennings?)

And huge thanks to our amazing volunteers! You’re the best.

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Thinking about sponsoring the 2011 Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival with goods, services, or a financial donation? We are especially interested in connecting with donors who would like to sponsor the following:

purchase of 100% compostable cups and dinnerware;
tent, table, chair rentals;
locally made beer & liquor;
design, marketing & printing costs;
local, sustainably grown heirloom tomatoes and other produce and ingredients;
crates of gassed green tomatoes shipped from afar;
charitable contributions to the non-profits Sustainable Midlands and/or Slow Food Columbia

image: Jonathan Sharpe

Leave a comment here, or drop a line to:

Sustainable Midlands project coordinator Ryan Nevius at ryan@sustainablemidlands.org

or

Slow Food Columbia chapter leader Kristen DuBard at slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com

Thanks again for your interest and support. We love our wonderful, creative, conscientious food community here in South Carolina!

We're pretty excited about our new Tasty Tomato Festival...

2010-08-07T22:31:00.000-04:00

Tickets for the Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival 1/2 off until midnight tonight!

We are so excited about our festival tomorrow! Don't miss out on 1/2 off tickets by going here to purchase. Tomorrow at the door tickets will be $10, kids still free!

Have you signed up to enter your tomatoes for our contest? It is not too late! Even if you just have a few tomatoes growing in your garden, enter! Email ryan@sustainablemidlands.org for more information.

What to bring:

your inspired, favorite, or something wacky you just found a recipe for (Chocolate Green Tomato Cake??!!) Tomato based potluck dish

picnic snacks

camp chairs and blankets

We will have a cash bar with local Thomas Creek and RJ Rockers beers, sustainably packaged white and red wine, and water for sale, as well as Firefly vodka Bloody Marys whipped up by Brad Weeks of Spotted Salamander Catering.

Plan to stay after the festival as we will be showing Attack of the Killer Tomatoes for free after dark on the barn wall!

Also, live music; a "make your own tomato sandwich" table; Commercial tomato skee ball and tomato bobbing; Earth Fare is doing cooking demos; The Half and Half is selling art prints of the gorgeous poster they designed for us; S + S Art Supply is running a kids' art table; and we're getting killer locally grown heirloom tomatoes from Rodger's Heirlooms and Rosewood Market for you to taste side-by-side with those commercially bred 'maters!

See you tomorrow!

The Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival
This Sunday, Aug 8, 6-9pm (and beyond)
City Roots Farm
1005 Airport Blvd at Owens Field, Columbia SC 29205
$5 adv/$10 door, children free

Farm tour Sun 7/18, mtg 7/19, dinner party 7/26, tomato fest 8/8!

2010-07-16T17:31:00.000-04:00

Greetings! Lots going on in Columbia this Summer for Slow Foodies!

Another Slow Food Columbia FARM TOUR!
There will be a farm tour this Sunday, July 18th, to Shadow Lane Farm in Wagener SC. Please go here for more information or email slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com

MONTHLY MEETING this Monday, 6:30pm at City Roots:
Remember we have a meeting next Monday, July 19th, at 6:30pm at City Roots Farm.

We hope to see you there! On the agenda will be our plans for the Doko Farms Heritage Chicken Dinner at Motor Supply on Monday, July 26th, and the Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival on Sunday, August 8th at City Roots Farm:

SOLD OUT: Doko Farm Heritage Farm Chicken Dinner

[UPDATE as of 7.23.20: we have sold out all 50 tickets to the Doko Farm Heritage Chicken Dinner at Motor Supply on Monday, July 26th!

Thank you so much to our Slow Food community for being so excited about this event! Motor Supply Company is already talking about hosting another similar dinner in the near future, so stay tuned!]

If you would like to be a part of this special farm-to-table event, please ~~buy tickets here~~ [tix are sold out]. Motor Supply publicized the event today, and a mention will be in the Free Times next week [thank you Eva Moore for the great Free Times write up! and thank you to the State Newspaper for the great shout outs in the Cook's Corner!].

~~We also have 1-2 volunteer server positions available if you would like a FREE ticket to the event!~~ [These are filled, thank you!!] Please email slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com for more information.


Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival The first (and soon to be annual) Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival! Sunday evening, August 8, 2010, from 6pm to 9pm. Slow Food Columbia and Sustainable Midlands have partnered to create a festival which will showcase the taste of sustainably grown local tomatoes, explore the many varieties of tomatoes, and celebrate locally grown food and home gardeners -- all at City Roots: Your In-Town Sustainable Farm. At the Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival, you will enjoy a side-by-side tasting of commercially bred vs. locally grown heirloom tomato varieties, a Homegrown Tomato Contest with local foodie celeb judges, live music, a cash bar, tomato bobbing, "Chuck the Commercial Tomato" skee ball, and a Tomato Recipe Showcase potluck supper. Homegrown Tomato Contest Awards will be given for the best tomato grown by a: 1. Child 2. Church, School, Club or Community Garden 3. First-year Gardener 4. Home Gardener 5. Local Farmer Best in Show awards will also be given for best small tomato, best red tomato, best yellow tomato, best purple tomato, and best unusual tomato. Don't be shy! It's all about having fun in the garden. This just in: tomato contest entrants get 20% off Spotted Salamander goodies! Festival Tickets: $5/advance, $10/door, children free. Buy tickets online at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/118638* more info at www.sustainablemidlands.org How to Enter the Homegrown Tomato Contest: After purchasing a ticket, each entrant should send, via email, their name, address, phone number, their city council district if applicable, and the contest category (see above, multiple is ok!) to ryan@sustainablemidlands.org. Ryan will then send you details for participating in the contest. Contest entrants all get 20% off at Spotted Salamander catering. [Thanks, Brad!] Special thanks to sponsors City Roots Farm, Earth Fare, Rosewood Market, and The Half and Half letterpress design + printing (how about that gorgeous poster, above, by designer + Mr. Friendly's chef Thomas Jennings?) *As always, Slow Food Columbia uses only compostable utensils, drink cups, and dinnerware at its events!

Tickets on sale for Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival on Aug. 8!

2010-07-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
PR Inquiries: Ryan Nevius, 803.381.8747, ryan@sustainablemidlands.org

Columbia, SC’s First “Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival” Debuts on August 8, 2010

COLUMBIA, SC - July 1, 2010 - On Sunday evening, August 8, 2010, from 6pm to 9pm, the first annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival will debut in the capital city.

Slow Food Columbia and Sustainable Midlands have partnered to highlight the taste of sustainably grown local tomatoes, explore the many varieties of tomatoes, and celebrate locally grown food and home gardeners.

It's all going down at City Roots: Your In-Town Sustainable Farm, one of the most talked-about new event venues in the Midlands.

At the Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival, you will enjoy a side-by-side tasting of commercially bred vs. locally grown heirloom varieties, a Homegrown Tomato Contest with local foodie celeb judges, live music, a cash bar, tomato bobbing, a “Chuck the Commercial Tomato” distance throwing contest, and share in a Tomato Recipe Showcase potluck supper.

The Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival
Co-presented by Sustainable Midlands and Slow Food Columbia
at City Roots: Your In-Town Sustainable Farm
Sunday, Aug. 8, 6-9pm
$5 advance, $10 at door, kids under 13 free

*bring a dish for the tomato potluck or your own snacks*
cash bar (beer, wine & non alcoholic)
1005 Airport Blvd (by Owens Field)
Columbia, SC, 29205

Buy Tickets here:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/118638

EVENT DETAILS:

Homegrown Tomato Contest -- Prizes will be awarded for the best tomato grown by a:
1. Child
2. Church, School, Club or Community Garden
3. First-year Gardener
4. Home Gardener
5. Local Farmer
Best in Show awards will also be given for best small tomato, best red tomato, best yellow tomato, best purple tomato, and best unusual tomato.

Confirmed local celeb judges thus far for the Homegrown Tomato Contest:

Belinda Gergel, Columbia City Council
Richard Burts, Historic 701 Whaley
Ann Timberlake, Conservation Voters of SC
Frank Knapp, SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce
Amanda McNulty, Making it Grow
Rodger Winn, Heirloom seed maestro
Anne Postic, The Shop Tart
Eva Moore, The Free Times

Chef Tim Peters of Motor Supply Co. Bistro
Chef Mike Davis of Terra Restaurant
Chef Ricky Mollohan, owner of Mr. Friendly’s, Solstice Kitchen & Cellar on Greene
Kristian Niemi, owner of Rosso and Gervais & Vine Restaurants
Tom and Julie Hall, owners of SMOKE Southern BBQ Revival
Sean Hanley of MoMo’s Bistro
Julie Culclasure of Blue Cactus Cafe
Chef Alex Suaudom du Monde of Baan Sawan Thai Bistro
Chef Joe Turkaly of Doc's Gumbo Grille
Basil or Chef Benoit of Rosewood Market

How to Enter Contest
After purchasing a ticket here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/118638, each entrant should send, via email, their name, address, phone number and the contest category (see above, multiple is ok!) to ryan@sustainablemidlands.org. Ryan will then send you details for participating in the contest.

All-local Tomato Showcase Potluck --If you so desire, bring a local, tomato-based dish to share (with a little card noting name of dish, w/ingredients), or just bring your own snacks. We will provide compostable utensils, plates, and napkins, as well as corn-based PLA compostable drink cups. A cash bar with local beer, sustainably packaged wine, water and non-alcoholic drinks will be on site. Parking is plentiful! Picnic style seating bring blanket or chairs.

What is Slow Food Columbia? http://slowfoodcolumbia.blogspot.com/
The Columbia, SC chapter of the international non-profit organization, Slow Food, whose mission is to support "Good, Clean and Fair" foodways in our local communities.

What is Sustainable Midlands? http://www.sustainablemidlands.org/
A coalition of non-profit organizations in the Midlands providing education and facilitating communication among citizens and community leaders about creating communities that have clean air and water and support principles of sustainability.

What is City Roots Farm? http://www.cityroots.org/
The 2.8-acre urban farm, located next to Owens Field, produces sustainably grown products like farmed tilapia, microgreens and heirloom vegetables, while educating the community about the benefits of locally grown food, composting, vermicomposting and other environmentally friendly farming practices.

See y'all at the farm!

####

Heirloom Tomato Festival in the works for August 8!

2010-06-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

We're helping to plan an heirloom tomato tasting festival in early August at City Roots farm! (Most likely Sunday, August 8, so save the date...and we'll confirm soon!)

Master Gardener Ryan Nevius has had this brilliant idea: bring together backyard gardeners and farmers to compare and enjoy their own locally-grown, heirloom tomato varieties -- and put them side-by-side with the flavor-starved supermarket varieties. All in a fun, family-friendly environment at City Roots!

Sound fun? Cool. We think so too. If you have ideas for the event, please comment or email!

Meanwhile, we're likely presenting a Doko Farm Heritage Chicken Tasting dinner, family style, at Motor Supply Company on Monday, July 26. Tix TBA but Chef Tim Peters would be cooking, and it'll be low-budget and super relaxed!

And, TONIGHT:

Our monthly Slow Food chapter meeting is tonight at City Roots in the barn, 6:30pm. All members are encouraged to come, and non-members are 100% welcome.

City Roots: Your In-Town Sustainable Farm
1005 Airport Blvd
Columbia SC
www.cityroots.org

Join us for an upstate farm tour this Sat. June 12!

2010-06-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

Come along this Saturday, June 12 for another Slow Food farm tour!
Slow Food Columbia joins Slow Food Upstate for their visit to Patient Wait Farms in Piedmont, SC: www.patientwait.com

"From Egg to Thanksgiving"
Patient Wait Farms
309 Trotter Rd.
Piedmont, SC 29673
June 12
9am-4pm
Click here to RSVP

Bring your family and your picnic with a blanket or folding chairs and a table, for a tour from "Egg to Thanksgiving" with Gail Cooley and her Ark of Taste rare breed Narragansett Turkeys. Gail will demonstrate the entire process of how the egg develops, and the chicks are nurtured and how the turkey arrives to your table on Thanksgiving Day.

Horseshoes, badminton nets (bring rackets) and Lemonade provided. Petting zoo, nature walk, gardens, Animal Welfare approved. Sponsored by Earth Fare Market in Greenville.

Slow Food Columbia caravan will meet in the parking lot of 701 Whaley, next to the All Local Farmers' Market at 9:00am. RSVP on Facebook (click here for event invite/RSVP page) at our Slow Food Columbia Facebook group, which you can join by clicking here!

Next Slow Food Columbia meeting: June 21 at 6:30 pm, City Roots Farm, 1005 Airport Blvd, Columbia SC. Non-members welcome!

All-Local Potluck picnic lunch Sat. May 22 at City Roots! (And our monthly meeting Mon., May 17)

2010-05-14T12:12:00.000-04:00

Two gatherings next week = good times in the Slow Food community!

1. Our monthly Slow Food Columbia meeting is coming up again this Monday May 17 at 6:30pm, now with our new, ongoing location at City Roots Farm! Come whether you're a member or not; we'll discuss current agenda items and upcoming events like an heirloom tomato tasting and a heritage chicken tasting, as well as field trips to local farms!

2. We're organizing a free All-Local Potluck lunch next Saturday, May 22, 11am-2pm at City Roots Farm, as part of The Big Shebang craft fair! It's going to be super casual.

Slow Food Columbia provides the compostable plates, cups, napkins and forks -- you bring a dish with at least one main ingredient that was grown or produced locally. Bring your own beverages and picnic blankets, and invite anyone you like. No admission fee, no tickets -- just a nice time at the farm. We'll likely hang out past 2pm, so if you have to come late, go for it!

No time to cook? Drop by the All-Local Farmers' Market at 701 Whaley that morning and grab something from a vendor! Done.

FUN FACT: City Roots has stocked their greenhouse fish pond with hundreds of baby tilapia! Bring the kids and check on the little sustainably farmed fishies' progress.

Come one, come all!

City Roots
"Your In-Town Sustainable Farm"
1005 Airport Blvd
(across from Owens Field, next to Aramark)
Columbia, SC 29205
www.cityroots.org

City Roots is where we threw our last Slow Food party, which was a great, sold-out success! We're glad to be throwing an event this time that has no attendance limit and no admission fee -- let's eat!

What is Slow Food all about? Read this quick list of FAQs at the Slow Food USA website.

We'd love you to get involved in any way you like, be it as a volunteer, a visionary, a benefactor, a promoter, or simply a member of our friendly, ever-growing Slow Food community. Of course, we welcome new Slow Food memberships with warmth and enthusiasm.

Come learn how Slow Food Columbia is contributing to the mission of promoting Good, Clean and Fair food in the Midlands, and meet some of our key members, including local farmers, educators, professionals, restaurateurs, chefs, hospitality industry pros, and progressive-minded people of all ages and stations.

It's a great group! We'd love to have you.

Slow Food meeting, every 3rd Monday, 6:30pm, City Roots urban farm, Columbia, South Carolina
****

Our next meeting: Monday April 19 at City Roots farm!

2010-04-13T10:47:00.000-04:00

Our monthly Slow Food Columbia meeting is coming up again this Monday April 19, now with a new, ongoing location!

Come one, come all!

6:30pm-8pm
Monday, April 19th
(and every third Monday)
at
City Roots
"Your In-Town Sustainable Farm"
1005 Airport Blvd
(across from Owens Field, next to Aramark)
Columbia, SC 29205
www.cityroots.org

City Roots is where we threw our last Slow Food party, which was a great, sold-out success! Look for more events in late May and late June; sign up for our email list if you haven't already! (Link is in upper right corner of this blog.)

What is Slow Food all about? Read this quick list of FAQs at the Slow Food USA website.

Our chapter meetings are informal, casual, and follow a short agenda of current initiatives, such as our project to help enable the USC Farmers' Market to accept food stamps/EBT/SNAP benefits, as well as a summer fundraiser to send two local farmers to Turin, Italy for the Slow Food International Terra Madre world meeting this Fall.

Non-members are heartily encouraged to attend our meetings!

We'd love you to get involved in any way you like, be it as a volunteer, a visionary, a benefactor, a promoter, or simply a member of our friendly, ever-growing Slow Food community. Of course, we welcome new Slow Food memberships with warmth and enthusiasm.

Come learn how Slow Food Columbia is contributing to the mission of promoting Good, Clean and Fair food in the Midlands, and meet some of our key members, including local farmers, educators, professionals, restaurateurs, chefs, hospitality industry pros, and progressive-minded people of all ages and stations.

It's a great group! We'd love to have you.

Slow Food meeting, every 3rd Monday, 6:30pm, City Roots urban farm, Columbia, South Carolina
****

Friday, April 2nd at 3:30PM - Vandana Shiva “Soil Not Oil"

2010-03-24T16:12:00.000-04:00

Attention Slow Food Columbia - this is a lecture you won't want to miss!

Friday, April 2nd at 3:30PM Vandana Shiva "Soil Not Oil: Food Security in Times of Climate Change," at the Darla Moore School of Business, Belk Auditorium

Read about it on the USC website.

Shiva, who has been singled out by Time magazine as an environmental “hero,” also was called by Asia Week one of the five most powerful communicators from Asia. Shiva’s talk will draw connections between three of the world’s most serious issues: food insecurity, peak oil and climate change. She calls for small, sustainable, bio-diverse farms in an effort to evade the environmental and economic problems associated with industrial agriculture. She proposes solutions based on principles of self-organization, community and environmental justice, in opposition to trends of globalization, fossil-fuel dependence and corporate power.

In addition to "Soil Not Oil," Shiva's books include "Earth Democracy" and "Water Wars." In India, Shiva established Navdanya, a movement for biodiversity conservation and farmers' rights; founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology; and is vice president of the global movement, Slow Food International.

Shiva's talk is sponsored by USC's Green (West) Quad Learning Center, the South Carolina Honors College, the Darla Moore School of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences and its School of the Environment, department of philosophy, Walker Institute of International & Area Studies and Women's and Gender Studies Program.

For more information, contact Dr. Kevin Elliott, associate professor of philosophy, at 803-777-3735 or via e-mail at ke@sc.edu.

Doko Farm in Blythewood - Current Produce

2010-03-22T12:12:00.000-04:00

Doko Farm reports that it has added two more heritage breeds to its farm: Buckeye and Dark Cornish chickens. Amanda and Joe note that they'll be ready for your family's table in June. These breeds are listed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy as critically rare and a breed to watch, respectively.

Currently available at Doko: eggs from their flock of laying chickens. The eggs are hand collected and range in color from creamy white to speckled brown and cool shades of green, but their beauty is more than just shell deep. The yolks are dark and rich, almost orange, and they are delicious. The flock is made up of three heritage breeds (Jersey Giants, Dominiques, and Dorking), as well as Americaunas, and some interesting crosses. Eggs are available direct from the farm for $3 per dozen.

Doko also has daffodils available, while they last. Unscented varieties are 4 stems for $1 and scented varieties are 2 stems for $1.

Call or email for farm hours and product availability:

Doko Farm
2101 Cedar Creek Road
Blythewood, SC 29016
803-873-7739

Community News

2010-03-03T18:27:00.000-05:00

Sustainable Midlands Meeting: "Focus on Transit"
March 4, 2010 at 3:30PM

Meeting location: Capital Senior Center
1650 Park Circle
Columbia, SC

Sustainable Midlands supports efforts to improve and fund our transit system. Mitzi Javers, Executive Director of CMRTA, will be our guest speaker at our meeting next Thursday. She will outline the recommended upgrades to the transit system and explain the process that will determine the ballot question on funding that will hopefully be presented for a vote in November.

Remember that citizen support is key in implementing a successful public transportation system in the Midlands.

In other great news, the city council passed the chicken ordinance!

Tons of Local BBQ Fun at City Roots Farm

2010-03-01T12:41:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who participated in our belated Terra Madre Day celebration this past Saturday at City Roots urban farm in Columbia, S.C.!

We had a fantastic time, and we can't wait to do more events like this.

Special thanks to City Roots Farm Manager Eric McClam, a truly gracious host. We're all excited to work together again!

Produce sales M-F, 9-5 at City Roots

With his recently acquired Masters in Architecture from Tulane, Eric and his architect father Robbie based the farm building's high-ceilinged design (topped with self-ventilating, clerestory windows) on the Southern tobacco barns of old.

Greenhouse dining!

We predict that it's going to become one of Columbia's hottest event venues. Can you imagine the coolness of an urban farm wedding or holiday party on nearly 3 acres, 5 minutes from downtown, with a greenhouse and mod, stylish barn?

The Plowboys let 'er rip

The McClams may try to convince the neighbors to let them make a giant mural on that broad, white wall there on the south side of the fields. Here's hoping!

Delicious catering by SMOKE!

Eric says they're planning to go for LEED certification for the building; we love the exposed wall studs in the retail/event space and the newfangled low-flush toilet (in the very clean, spacious bathroom, next to the large, 38-degree cold-storage room).

A very family-friendly venue

For those of you who couldn't get tickets due to the sell-out status of the BBQ, we are so thankful for your interest and will plan a bigger event next time!

The soon-to-be-stocked tilapia pond!

To stay in-the-know, follow this blog (click "Follow" button in the lower right hand sidebar on this page) and subscribe to Slow Food Columbia's email list by sending your email address to:

SlowFoodColumbia@hotmail.com

Toward the goals of raising awareness of Slow Food, celebrating local food, and promoting "good, clean, and fair" food practices, SFC leader Cerelle Centeno checked people in with the help of Five Leaves Farm owner Ben Dubard.

A new City Roots collaborator, Ben, his wife Kristen (pic'd w/SFC members Katie and Chris Reid), and their family just moved back to the Rosewood neighborhood, a mere 4 houses down from City Roots. Now Ben can grow crops in the city! Five Leaves Farm out in Cedar Creek will serve as a new growing space for Anson Mills crops.

Served w/compostable corn resin forks!

Speaking of crops, City Roots' greenhouse-grown sunflower sprouts and snow pea sprouts are phenomenal. Nutty, bright, crunchy and fresh! You can buy them at the farm M-F, 9-5, or at Rosewood Market + Deli.

Tom Hall, leader of the Plowboys and co-owner of the new Smoke Southern BBQ Revival restaurant takes a cleaver to a Caw Caw Creek pastured pork butt. Emile DeFelice raises some darn fine pigs, and the guys at Smoke really know how to cook them!

Big thanks to Tom's vegetarian wife Julie Hall, a litigator and mother of three, who braved giant trays of steaming, smoky, slow-cooked pulled pork in order to help us keep the buffet nicely refreshed.

Despite being a longtime veg, Julie makes an amazing shrimp etouffee and a killer andouille jambalaya, by the way. (She's from Louisiana.)

Smoke co-owner and catering manager Heath Sessions outdid himself fancying up the cole slaw with pears, dried cranberries and blue cheese; The X-man gives a thumbs up to Heath's moist, delicious sweet potato cornbread.

Local bluegrass stars The Plowboys played some rousing sets from their repertoire. Maybe it was the fresh farm air, the enchanting woodsmoke from the campfire ring, or the cool drinks flowing from The White Mule's donation-only beverage station, but the band sounded particularly excellent.

Also excellent: The Shop Tart's overalls. Got to love a lady who dresses for the occasion AND promotes shopping indie and eating local to the well-heeled denizens of our fair city.

Cerelle thanked everyone and displayed a freshly printed City Roots T-shirt (handprinted on organic cotton by City Roots neighbor Emily McCravy of Fox + Grapes), while Eric talked a bit about the farm's mission.

Baby Augie and his social work maven mama, Caroline, were loving the gooey mac and cheese.

Augie's dad and his colleagues from the Thomas Cooper Library at USC enjoyed the springlike weather, having walked to the farm from their Rosewood home.

Tori and Heather from the Nickelodeon showed their support for local foodways (foreground), as did Nick board members Sanders and Donna Tate (background).

Local artist Anna Redwine (center) has a show up at Gallery 80808 in the Vista (with fellow artist Laura Spong) til the end of this week. Check it out!

USC Green Quad project coordinator Carter Cox spread the word about the local foods class she's teaching next year. The Green Quad is doing great things to promote sustainable gardening and green living at USC!

Hook up with the Green Quad at http://www.greenquadcommunity.org.

It really was a great day. Conversations arose between local backyard gardeners and tips were divulged by Ryan Nevius, Master Gardener and Sustainable Midlands guru. Greenhouse innovations were marveled at...

...the kids went ape for the McClams' Oaxacan hammocks...

...And then the kids went ape in the clover patch out front. The farm is planning on farming bees and making honey from the clover. Cool!

When things quieted down at the end of the day, the organizers kicked back to enjoy a cozy campfire circle and a great view of the full moon over Owens Field.

We can't wait to celebrate all things good, clean and fair with our local Slow Food community again soon*!

Slow Food Columbia Sincerely Thanks Its Sponsors for the Feb 27, 2010 Terra Madre Day Celebration at City Roots Farm!

Caw Caw Creek
City Roots
Smoke Southern Barbeque Revival
The Plowboys

Rosewood Market and Deli

*If you have ideas for Slow Food community-building events or initiatives in the Midlands and the Carolinas, please contact us!

Slow Food Columbia

slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com
Slow Food Columbia online

Email Congress re: Child Nutrition Act, plus Fresh movie recap

2010-02-16T12:48:00.000-05:00

Act Now! Tell Congress about the Importance of Real Food in Schools. At last night's monthly meeting, each attendee sent an email to Congress telling them that America's children need real food at school.

For those of you who were unable to attend, join us now by submitting an email:

http://slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch

Child obesity is skyrocketing, and our children, our economy and our quality of life are at risk. Helping schools serve real food may be the most promising way to end child obesity -- but it can't happen unless Congress invests in healthier food in the upcoming Child Nutrition Act.

Last night, your fellow Slow Food Columbia members told our legislators that schools need the resources to serve real food, cook meals from scratch and buy directly from local farms. It's time to give America's kids a healthy future.

A call to Slow Food USA this morning confirmed that efforts toward reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act will be ongoing over the course of many months and beyond, do don't be shy about Facebooking and forwarding this call to action!

Thank you for all that you do to promote good, clean, and fair food in the Midlands.

All the best,

Slow Food Columbia

p.s. We're thrilled to report that our Terra Madre Day BBQ at City Roots Urban Farm on February 27, 2010 has sold out! Special thanks to local businesses Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork, Smoke Southern BBQ Revival, and Rosewood Market for working with us to produce the event.

We're also happy to note that last Tuesday, Slow Food Columbia co-sponsored a sold-out screening at the Nickelodeon Theatre of the excellent, positive-minded documentary film, Fresh.

A vibrant talk-back session followed re: cost-prohibitive, byzantine regulatory issues facing small, independent farms, leading to a thought-provoking discussion between panelists from Slow Food Columbia, City Roots Farm, and Freshly Grown Farms, as well as audience members from USC's Green Quad, Sustainable Midlands, the SC Department of Agriculture, The Shop Tart, and Shadow Lane Farm in Wagener, SC.

FRESH Synopsis (from http://www.freshthemovie.com/)
FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

FRESH would love to support you in organizing a community screening. Community screenings of FRESH provide a great way to raise awareness about our food system while promoting your work and vision.

Local Chef Honored w/James Beard House gig in NY...

2010-02-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

...and Slow Food Columbia* gets a little shout out from Otis Taylor in The State Newspaper! Click here to read all about Slow Food member, Chef Mike Davis, and his West Columbia restaurant Terra in Sunday's paper.

Getting invited to cook at the James Beard House in NYC is huge! As most of you know, the James Beard Awards are the Oscars of the restaurant industry. Word on the street is that if you're invited to cook at the James Beard House, then you're likely being vetted for future accolades.

From http://www.jamesbeard.org:

"We invite chefs to participate in events at the James Beard House in New York City and at events abroad to allow people to experience America’s dynamic cuisine first hand. We also administer the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, which recognize and honor excellence among chefs, cookbook authors, food journalists, restaurant designers, and others working in the food and beverage industry."

Kudos to Chef Davis and the staff at Terra!

*Don't forget that on Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 4:00-6:00 PM, Slow Food Columbia will host a Barbeque Dinner (with vegetarian options) to celebrate local, fair, sustainable food and raise awareness of the Slow Food mission.

The dinner will be held at City Roots Farm, the much-anticipated new organic & sustainable urban farm in Rosewood near Owens Field.

Tickets for this dinner can be purchased online only, quantities are limited, and (we're thrilled to report) space is filling up fast for this very special event.
Buy your tickets today!

(photo of Chef Mike Davis reposted from The State Newspaper)

Terra Madre Day Event at City Roots: Saturday, February 27 from 4-6pm

2010-01-31T17:48:00.000-05:00

We're so excited to officially announce that on Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 4:00-6:00 PM, we will host a Barbeque Dinner to celebrate local, fair, sustainable food and raise awareness of the Slow Food mission. The dinner will be held at City Roots Farm, the much-anticipated new organic & sustainable urban farm in Rosewood near Owens Field. Tickets for this dinner can be purchased online only -- buy your tickets today!.

The family-style meal will feature pulled pork BBQ made with pastured pork from Emile DeFelice's Caw Caw Creek farm. The buzzworthy new restaurant Smoke Southern Barbeque Revival will slow-cook the pork at their extensive outdoor kitchen in Blythewood. Vegetarians can dig into macaroni and cheese and all-veggie sides from local vendors. Smoke owner Tom Hall has enlisted his infamous local bluegrass band, The Plowboys, to play live as well.

Attendees will be encouraged to bring their families and come an hour or two early to volunteer on the farm, run by local architect Robbie McClam and his family.

Slow Food Columbia, a local chapter of the world-wide organization Slow Food USA, was formed in the winter of 2008 to support good, clean and fair food in the Columbia area. Slow Food Columbia hosts workshops, potlucks and other events throughout the year that celebrate local and seasonal flavors; showcase regional chefs, farmers and artisan producers; strengthen connections between members of the local food community; and educate the public about the importance of knowing where their food comes from.

Tickets for the February 27th event must be purchased ahead of time and can be purchased here: Buy tickets to Terra Madre Day event.

ADMISSION:

Non-members $15
Slow Food members: $10
Students: $5
Kids under age 6: Free

Slow Food Columbia "Terra Madre Day" Event: Saturday, February 27, 4-6pm at City Roots

2010-01-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars! Slow Food Columbia will ring in the new year and celebrate Terra Madre Day a little belatedly on Saturday, February 27, 2010, from 4:00 - 6:00pm. We'll be featuring Caw Caw Creek pork and other local treats.

Check back in shortly for more information!

Fresh, the movie, will be screening at The Nickelodeon on February 9, 2010 at 6:00pm followed by a TalkBack. Slow Food Columbia is a proud sponsor of this evening.

The Slow Kitchen

2009-12-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

Led by Slow Food Columbia member Jana Fredericks, The Slow Kitchen is a new cooking club in town that is a spin-off of Slow Food Columbia. The group meets regularly to cook meals made with good, clean and fair food. If you've been looking to get more involved in the hands-on sharing and preparing of local food, this is the meeting for you! Contact Jana Fredericks at jana dot fredericks at gmail dot com (spelling this out so the spam bots don't get her).

In the meantime, check out some of these delicious holiday recipes Jana has posted on her website.

Happy Holidays!

Slow Food Columbia Celebrates Thanksgiving Early with Potluck

2009-11-18T21:22:00.001-05:00

Our November meeting was a potluck and we had a great turn out. Look at those "purple haze" carrots from City Roots! Not to mention the delicious local shrimp, sausage, beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and basil members brought (plus much more).

Thanks, Slow Foodies, for a the good food and conversation. Keep your eyes peeled for an email update.

Call to Action from a Local Organic Farmer

2009-11-12T10:47:00.000-05:00

We recently got wind of a terrific letter -- a call to action, really -- written by one of our most active Slow Food Columbia members, Ben Dubard. He sent it out this week to the CSA he runs with his wife Kristen at their organic farm in Cedar Creek, SC, Five Leaves Farm, and we wanted to put it out there should some budding Slow Food enthusiasts come across it and feel inspired.

Here's an excerpt (we've added some headers in bold and a few links out to thought-provoking sites, blogs, etc. for you multi-taskers out there):

Why Vote Organic with Your Grocery Dollar?
How is it that the food I grow can cost more? Well, there are a myriad of answers to that question, and whole books have been written on the subject.

The Problem with Those Cheaper, Conventionally Farmed Meats and Veggies
In brief, the cheap way to grow food is to spray toxic chemicals, pollute the soil and the water, employ illegal immigrants and abuse them, and ruthlessly seek to eliminate competition. While I generally don't talk like this to avoid making people uncomfortable (who wants to walk around all day feeling guilty for what they have eaten?), it needs to be discussed.

Our Opportunity
Restoring the health of the planet through farming is possibly the greatest environmental opportunity out there. Even as corporations steal the good name that organic farmers have labored to make, the urgency of restorative agriculture has taken precedence.

Concrete Goals: Build Topsoil, Eschew Agricultural Chemicals
It is no longer enough merely to do no harm; it is time to fix the problems at the root. I see our job as growing food AND building topsoil. By building topsoil we sequester CO2. By building topsoil we assist the land in producing clean water. By refraining from using agricultural chemicals, the amphibians and fish in our waters thrive. Birds come in profusion to our farm to eat the insects that are kept in balance by not poisoning the fields.

I could go on at length, but I hope that you get the idea.

****

Hey Slow Food Columbia! See you at our All-Local Potluck this Monday, Nov. 16! 6:30pm, 2404 Park; bring your favorite autumn dish made with all local ingredients, and consider bringing $5 or more for our farmer friends in Georgia. The September rains left many farms ruined. You can read more about these farms on the Slow Food Atlanta website and watch relevant video. Please help us support our fellow members to build their farms back!

Heard of the Southern Foodways Alliance?

2009-11-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

Any of you Slow Food Columbians familiar with the Southern Foodways Alliance?

(Slow Food Columbia members Emile deFelice of Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork and Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills have -- they are SFA Hall of Fame inductees!)

At the most recent monthly Slow Food Columbia meeting, we were discussing the fact that we'd like to know even more about like-minded* organizations, websites, and blogs throughout South Carolina and the greater Southeast United States.

The Southern Foodways Alliance has just won a 2009 Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award, given for "the latest and best efforts at cultural preservation, environmental conservation, and community-building through tourism." They provide a great model for outreach, publishing, and promotion. See below!

*Hey, Slow Food Columbia! Do you know of other local, regional, and national blogs, websites, or organizations from whom we might take further inspiration in our mission to promote "good, clean and fair" food in South Carolina and beyond? Comment below!

From page two of the Travel + Leisure article:

Culinary Heritage: Southern Foodways Alliance, Oxford, Mississippi
"An exuberant champion of Southern food culture—from its barbecue pit masters and bourbon distilleries to its butterscotch-pie breakfasts and deviled-eggs competitions—the Southern Foodways Alliance celebrates and records the region’s diverse gastronomic landscape through documentary films, books, and not-for-the-calorie-shy field trips and events. The Alliance’s food-trails program, which has mapped a Tamale Trail through the Mississippi Delta, a Barbecue Trail in the Southeast, and Boudin and Gumbo Trails across Louisiana, introduces travelers to the small-scale producers and off-the-beaten path restaurants that are the soul of Southern cuisine."

The Southern Foodways Alliance is an institution of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Their blog is here: http://southernfoodways.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Slow Food Columbia member (and recent State Art Collection inductee!) Anna Redwine for reminding us about this engaging resource!

****
Photo reprinted, some rights reserved, from the Southern Foodways Alliance Flickr page.
Post author Tracie Broom is a freelance writer/editor and South Carolina native, back in Columbia after 10 years as Food Editor at San Francisco, CA city guide SF Station. She publishes a foodie blog called The Yum Diary and is thrilled to rejoin the Midlands' flourishing progressive community.

Latest Issue of The Snail, Slow Food USA's Member Magazine

2009-10-30T17:12:00.000-04:00

View the latest issue of the Slow Food member magazine, The Snail, online! Now with a new digital format, Slow Food USA's quarterly magazine is in its tenth issue, Fall 2009.

In this issue: Julie Shaffer, Slow Food governor for the southeast region, and Judith Winfrey, chapter leader for Slow Food Atlanta, discuss the four community gardens the chapter has chosen to support for one year.

You can check it out here!

Eat Local Mov't Hits S.C. State Fair!

2009-10-19T17:47:00.000-04:00

Despite the regular sea of fried dough and mystery meat-on-a-stick vendors, the Slow Food movement is actually in effect at the South Carolina State Fair!

Blanche Weathers, wife of South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) Commissioner Hugh Weathers, gave a great "eat local" cooking demo in the Cantey Building on Friday.

Showing Love to the CSA Box
She focused on describing how she uses the produce in her Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) box from Pinckney's Produce.

(You know, the weekly farmshare box you see at Rosewood Market. Kudos to Pinckney's; like Five Leaves Farm [which is organic -- even bigger kudos!], they're sold out for their Fall 2009 CSA season!)

Weathers had a nice little audience gathered to try her local shrimp and pasta salad. (Tasty!) Nice to see fellow South Carolinians interested in the provenance of what goes into their bellies, no?

What are your favorite "eat local" restaurants, merchants, chefs, farms, etc.?

Use the comment form below to jot down your short list of Slow Food-ish businesses. We want to hear from you!

****
Post author Tracie Broom is a freelance writer/editor and South Carolina native, back in Columbia after 10 years as Food Editor at San Francisco, CA city guide SF Station. She publishes a foodie blog called The Yum Diary and is thrilled to rejoin the Midlands' flourishing progressive community.
(Photos by author.)

Urban Farm Crops up at Owens Field!

2009-10-14T13:23:00.000-04:00

Been wondering* about that snazzy new urban farm next to Owens Field?

Here's the story! Architect Robbie McClam's exciting new venture, City Roots, as covered by The State newspaper writer Jeff Wilkinson:

"Part of Green Movement, Farm Sprouts in City"

A pond to raise tilapia, that most sustainable and eco-friendly of farmed fish? Excellent. Recycling the nitrate-rich pond water through troughs of micro-greens hanging above the fish pond? Brilliant!

*Want to share this story on Facebook or Twitter with others in Columbia, South Carolina and beyond? Click the "SHARE" box at the very top of this web page. Good news likes to get around!

photo from original article by TIM DOMINICK/tdominick@thestate.com
****
Post author Tracie Broom is a freelance writer/editor and South Carolina native, back in Columbia after 10 years as Food Editor at San Francisco, CA city guide SF Station. She publishes a foodie blog called The Yum Diary and is thrilled to rejoin the Midlands' flourishing progressive community.

Organic, Macrobiotic Chef Lecture next Thursday, Oct. 22

2009-10-12T20:44:00.000-04:00

A good referral is gold. If I need a doctor, lawyer, physical therapist or HVAC specialist, I want a proven all-star. Here's one for the books: a chef, author and nutrition coach who takes Slow Food principles to the next level.

How My Cousin Kicked Cancer without Pain

My elder cousin not only beat breast cancer last year after being referred to nutritional consultant Roxanne Koteles-Smith of Asheville, below -- she also went through chemo with zero pain. That's right. No pain. No nausea. Apparently, that's totally unheard of. All of her doctors and nurses were shocked.

Garden to Table: A Carolina Tradition

Although our family comes from long line of Kershaw County folk who, like many Carolinians, are well accustomed to eating local from the family garden plot or farmer's market, it's also totally unheard of to eliminate staples like gluten, sugar, and dairy, much less to incorporate "hippie food" like seaweed and umeboshi plum-flaxseed oil vinaigrette into one's diet. (No offense to hippies! We love hippies.)

A Very Strategic -- and Delicious -- Macrobiotic Diet
However, because my cousin took the Roxanne plunge and converted to a protein-rich, exclusively organic and local diet (with lots of macrobiotic bells and whistles), she accomplished what Western medicine couldn't. And deliciously! Roxanne's C.V. includes stints at The Breakers in Palm Beach and the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Get Schooled

Roxanne's giving a presentation next Thursday at a colleague's office space in Northeast Columbia, and starting the following Thursday, October 29, she's running a series of 6 weekly cooking classes in a private home, this time focused on achieving weight loss.

Although she does business through Greenlife Grocery in Asheville; Healthwise Foods in Montgomery, AL; The Village Cup in Laurens, SC; and The Pickwick Pharmacy in Greenville, SC, Roxanne hasn't really expanded into the Columbia market -- until now.

This is a great opportunity for Columbians to get up on some of Roxanne's food wisdom. See you there!

FOOD WISDOM with ROXANNE KOTELES-SMITH

Author, The Cancer Cookbook
FOOD COACH and MACROBIOTIC SPECIALIST

Lecture and Cooking Series Preview

(menu samples will be served)

When: Thursday, October 22, 2009 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Where: Business Office Location, 110 Wildewood Park Dr, Columbia, SC 29223 (just off 77)

Price: Free
Advance registration by 5pm Monday, Oct. 19 is necessary, as space is limited.
RSVP to 866-407-8031 or email: Roxanne@RoxannesRemedies.com

About Roxanne, from http://www.cancercookbook.com/:

Roxanne Koteles-Smith is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont and is a certified Macrobiotic Guide from the Kushi Institute of Becket, MA. Roxanne's cooking experience includes the Breakers in Palm Beach and Ritz-Carlton Corporation in San Francisco. Her recipes combine fresh, simple foods with a Japanese influence for superior nutrition and taste...they contain no sugar, no dairy, minimal wheat choices, high protein and gluten-free solutions. [She uses] only certified organic products with the assistance of local organic farmers.

****

Not a Slow Food member yet?

A gift of ANY size gets you a membership through Oct. 15!

Normally $60 and up. A fabulous opportunity!

****
Post author Tracie Broom is a freelance writer/editor and South Carolina native, back in Columbia after 10 years as Food Editor at San Francisco, CA city guide SF Station. She publishes a foodie blog called The Yum Diary and is thrilled to rejoin the Midlands' flourishing progressive community.

Slow Food Columbia Featured on WLTX!

2009-10-08T09:06:00.000-04:00

Slow Food Columbia on WLTX Tonight!

2009-10-07T13:12:00.001-04:00

Watch WLTX Channel 9 in Columbia, SC tonight at 7:00pm EST -- the Slow Food Columbia community was interviewed by Ashley Yore.

If you watched the piece and are wondering how to get involved, we have good news! Through October 15, 2009, Slow Food USA is running a membership drive that is "pay what you can." Click on the following image to get started:

Time for Lunch Campaign: Eat-In! 9/7/09 @ 11am

2009-08-17T14:28:00.000-04:00

Join Slow Food Columbia on Labor Day - September 7, 2009 - as we take part in a Slow Food USA national campaign called Time for Lunch.

Across the country, Slow Food chapters will be hosting Eat-Ins on the same day. The Slow Food Columbia eat-in is a "bring your own picnic" protest at Little Creek Plantation farm in Brunson, SC. The day will include farm tours, music and games for children.

When: Monday, September 7, 2009 from 11:00am - 4:00pm

Where: Little Creek Plantation - 1845 Turpentine Still Road, Brunson, SC

Directions: Please use these custom Google directions via this link or listed below! Google GPS (i.e. the standard search) is not the most efficient route available.

1. Head east on Gervais St/US-1/US-378 E toward Assembly St/SC-215/US-76 - 66 ft
2. Make a U-turn at Assembly St/SC-215/US-76 Continue to follow US-1 - 4.4 mi
3. Merge onto I-26 E via the ramp to Charleston - 34.1 mi
4. Take exit 145A to merge onto St Matthews Rd/US-601 toward Orangeburg Continue to follow US-601 - 5.2 mi
5. Turn right at John C Calhoun Dr/US-301/US-601 Continue to follow US-301/US-601 - 19.2 mi
6. Slight left at Broxton Bridge Rd/US-601 Continue to follow US-601 - 27.2 mi
7. Turn right at Sandy Run Rd - 2.9 mi
8. Continue on Turpentine Still Rd - 1.0 mi

IMPORTANT NOTE: No pets allowed. Please respect the animals of the farm and leave your dog at home for the day.

FOOD, INC. at The Nickelodeon Movie Theatre

2009-08-05T17:16:00.000-04:00

There's a lot of exciting real food-related matters happening around town this month! In addition to the Slow Food Columbia fundraiser hosted by Terra Restaurant next week (Thursday, August 13, 2009 from 6-9pm), The Nick is now showing Food, Inc., a powerful documentary about the food industry and its effects on our nation's health.

FOOD INC.
AUGUST 5-11, Wednesday-Tuesday
Wednesday, Aug. 5 - 3:00, 6:00 and 8:00
Thursday, Aug. 6 - 7:00 and 9:00 NOTE SPECIAL TIMES ON THIS NIGHT
Friday, Aug. 7 - 3:00, 6:00 and 8:00
Saturday, Aug. 8 - 3:00, 6:00 and 8:00
Sunday, Aug. 9 - 3:00, 6:00 and 8:00
Monday, Aug. 10 - 6:00 and 8:00
Tuesday, Aug. 11 - 6:00 and 8:00

Buy Tickets for FOOD, INC.
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli--the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually.

Slow Food Columbia Fundraiser at Terra Restaurant - Thursday, August 13, 2009

2009-07-26T18:18:00.000-04:00

We're so excited for the Slow Food Fundraiser at Terra Restaurant on Thursday, August 13, 2009!

6:00pm - 9:00pm

Terra Restaurant
100 State Street in West Columbia - just over the Gervais Street bridge

Food from the following will be featured:
Anson Mills
Five Leaves Farm
Little Creek Plantation

And wine from Spanish Vines will be presented!

You'll also be able to learn more about being a member of Slow Food USA and how you can support Slow Food Columbia's various efforts and the All-Local Farmers Market - now with a permanent location at 711 Whaley.

Buy tickets to this event now!

Event host and platinum sponsor

Other sponsors

July Monthly Meeting Recap

2009-07-22T16:37:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who made the July meeting this past week. Big developments follow:

- We're on track for our fund raising event at Terra Restaurant on Thursday, August 13. Food from Anson Mills, Five Leaves Farm and Little Creek Plantation will be a part of the tasting. The event will run from 6:00pm - 9:00pm.

- We have a proposed location for our Time for Lunch Eat-In! We're aiming to hold it at Little Creek Plantation so over the coming days and weeks we'll iron out whether or not this will work, logistically.

- Other discussions centered around accepting SNAP payments at farmers markets locally, the Slow Food Columbia table at the All-Local Farmers Market and which local district could be a part of the Eat-In.

All-Local Farmers' Market Has a Permanent Home!

2009-06-26T10:55:00.000-04:00

We're so excited about the news that the All-Local Farmers' Market will have a new home at 701 Whaley starting next month. The inaugural market will be on July 4th and then every Saturday thereafter.

Come on by and visit the Slow Food Columbia table and show your support through membership or commitment to a volunteer effort for an upcoming event.

Here's the release from the market:

The All Local Farmers Market will be moving to its new permanent home at
701 Whaley!

JULY 4th 8am - 2pm (EXTENDED HOURS for Grand Opening)

Every Saturday starting July 4th at 701 Whaley.
- the yellow building next to 701 Whaley.

Come out and join us for Columbia's All-Local Farmers' Market featuring all-natural or organic produce, beef, eggs, chicken, lamb, pork, grains, honey, flowers, and milk from South Carolina farmers. The market also boasts vendors with baked goods, award-winning hot sauces, goat milk soaps and lotions, handmade items, and more.

Come enjoy some music and friends and pick up fresh products for your July 4th celebration!

For more info contact:
Emile DeFelice
803-917-0794

Slow Food Columbia

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

Slow Food Potluck @ Indie Grits party this Sunday 9/18!

Jerusha Klemperer

Take Back the Value Meal: Slow Food for the Price of Fast Food

Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival Recap!

Tasty Tomato Festival Design by The Half and Half!

Look ma, we've got a QR code!

Homegrown Tomato Contest Deadline is Sat., July 9, 2011!

Attack of the Tasty Tomatoes, Sunday, July 17!

Sustainable Midlands and Slow Food Columbia present:

The 2nd Annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival

Attack of the Tasty Tomatoes, Sunday July 17!

Wild & Scenic Film Festival at 701 Whaley, Wed. April 27

Slow Food at Indie Grits kickoff party, April 13!

Eat, Drink & Be Local and BuySC!

Save the date! The 2nd annual Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival, July 17, 2011!

City Roots farm now offering CSA boxes!

1005 Airport Blvd • Columbia, SC • 29205 • 803.254.2302 • cityroots@cityroots.org

The Kings of Pastry dessert tasting, Dec. 14

Congress passes child nutrition improvements!

Southern Cheesemakers Wine & Cheese Tasting, 12/10!

How this Thai-Carolinian Chef Keeps it Lean and Green

Food and Music Synergy: Is there such a thing?

Renovated Building Ready for All-Local Farmers' Market

50 Green Resources for Eco-Friendly Schools

50 Online Resources for Eco-Friendly Schools

A Visit to Sandhill Farmers' Market in Northeast Columbia

Lower your energy costs at home/office: Free public seminar 10/18!

Potluck lunch + Boys & Girls Club crop mob, Sat. Sept. 25!

Below is the schedule for the day of the event. Please respond to slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com so that we can plan the potluck.

Volunteer Schedule for Sat., Sept. 25:8:45-12 noon: work at Ben Arnold Center constructing garden. The Boys & Girls Club1100 S.Holly St Columbia, SC 29205

12 noon: tour of City Roots

12:15: lunch provided by Slow Food Columbia volunteers for the Boys and Girls Club families at City Roots Farm

Please bring a potluck dish to feed approximately 20 people. As many of our guests will be working families, please choose an easy to make dish with at least one local/in season ingredient and a recipe card.See you there!

Free composting classes in September at RCPL!

Free Composting Classes For Richland County Residents

September 2nd 6:30PM

September 4th 10AM

September 9th 6:30PM

September 11th 9:00AM

September 16th 6:30PM

Compost Exhibit at Forest Acres Green Living Festival on September 25th from 10AM to 4PM at Forest Lake Presbyterian Church, 6500 North Trenholm Road Columbia, 29206

Tasty Tomato Fest recap + monthly mtg this Monday!

We're pretty excited about our new Tasty Tomato Festival...

Farm tour Sun 7/18, mtg 7/19, dinner party 7/26, tomato fest 8/8!

Tickets on sale for Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival on Aug. 8!

Heirloom Tomato Festival in the works for August 8!

Join us for an upstate farm tour this Sat. June 12!

All-Local Potluck picnic lunch Sat. May 22 at City Roots! (And our monthly meeting Mon., May 17)

Our next meeting: Monday April 19 at City Roots farm!

Friday, April 2nd at 3:30PM - Vandana Shiva “Soil Not Oil"

Doko Farm in Blythewood - Current Produce

Community News

Tons of Local BBQ Fun at City Roots Farm

Email Congress re: Child Nutrition Act, plus Fresh movie recap

FRESH Synopsis (from http://www.freshthemovie.com/)

Local Chef Honored w/James Beard House gig in NY...

Terra Madre Day Event at City Roots: Saturday, February 27 from 4-6pm

Slow Food Columbia "Terra Madre Day" Event: Saturday, February 27, 4-6pm at City Roots

The Slow Kitchen

Slow Food Columbia Celebrates Thanksgiving Early with Potluck

Call to Action from a Local Organic Farmer

Heard of the Southern Foodways Alliance?

Latest Issue of The Snail, Slow Food USA's Member Magazine

Eat Local Mov't Hits S.C. State Fair!

Urban Farm Crops up at Owens Field!

Organic, Macrobiotic Chef Lecture next Thursday, Oct. 22

Slow Food Columbia Featured on WLTX!

Slow Food Columbia on WLTX Tonight!

Time for Lunch Campaign: Eat-In! 9/7/09 @ 11am

FOOD, INC. at The Nickelodeon Movie Theatre

Slow Food Columbia Fundraiser at Terra Restaurant - Thursday, August 13, 2009

July Monthly Meeting Recap

All-Local Farmers' Market Has a Permanent Home!

Volunteer Schedule for Sat., Sept. 25:

8:45-12 noon: work at Ben Arnold Center constructing garden.

The Boys & Girls Club
1100 S.Holly St

Columbia, SC 29205

Please bring a potluck dish to feed approximately 20 people. As many of our guests will be working families, please choose an easy to make dish with at least one local/in season ingredient and a recipe card.

See you there!

September 2^nd 6:30PM

September 4^th 10AM

September 9^th 6:30PM

September 11^th 9:00AM

September 16^th 6:30PM

Compost Exhibit at Forest Acres Green Living Festival on September 25^th from 10AM to 4PM at Forest Lake Presbyterian Church, 6500 North Trenholm Road Columbia, 29206