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REAP Broadcaster,   
Newsletter of Research, Education, Action, and Policy on Food Group
March, 2004

Spring is coming—and we’re planting great seeds at REAP. 

Topics in this Newsletter:

Farm Fresh Atlas 2004 is Going to Press.

Food for Thought Festival 2004 – Look Who’s Coming!

Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch Project Hosts Successful Winter Meals.

What’s in a Name?

Old Friend/New Opportunity.

Yummy Seasonal Recipe.

Farm Fresh Atlas 2004 is going to press.  
With over 70 farms and businesses registered, this year’s Farm Fresh Atlas will be the largest yet.  This guide, produced in partnership with the Dane County Farmer’s Market, Friends of DCFM and the UW Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems is a great resource for folks in and around Madison to find local sustainable growers and businesses.  We’ll kick off distribution of the beautifully laid out map and guide at the first Dane County Farmers Market on April 24^th.  After that, look for your copy at local markets and businesses around town and beyond. 

Volunteers will be needed to pass out atlases at the first few Farmers Markets or commit to restocking at specific sites throughout the area.  If you’re available to help with distribution, please contact us at info@reapfoodgroup.org.

An on-line version of the atlas can be found [here].

Food for Thought Festival 2004 – Look who’s coming!
The Food for Thought Planning Committee is excited to announce that two “cutting edge” activists from the sustainable food system universe have agreed to come as our guest speakers at this year’s festival. 

The amazing Eliot Coleman, renowned organic farmer from Maine who has been the “guru” to so many organic market growers with his innovative techniques for extending the growing season has agreed to come as our keynote speaker.  And Tod Murphy from The Farmers Diner in Barre, Vermont will be joining us as our guest restaurateur.  (For those of you who haven’t heard about Tod and his diner—they are revolutionizing the restaurant world by bringing a commitment to local and sustainable food to the “everyday” setting of a local diner.)   

Appropriate to the expertise of these two speakers, the theme of this year’s festival is, “Daily Special: Real Meals from our Local Fields.”  The Festival will be held Saturday, September 18^th just off the Capitol Square with a Friday night forum scheduled for the evening of the 17^th.  

Several other events are being planned around this weekend of local food festivities.  We hope to offer a growers’ workshop by Eliot Coleman to be offered on that Saturday afternoon. We also hope to engage local restaurants to become involved in offering locally grown “daily specials” that coincide with this great weekend of events.

Anyone who would like to get involved in planning the growers’ workshop or help with any of the other planning activities for the Festival, let Miriam know.  It takes over 100 volunteers to pull off Food for Thought!  Please consider helping out this year.  (The next full FFT planning meeting is Wednesday, March 31^st at 7:00.  Place TBD.  Contact Miriam at miriamg@reapfoodgroup.org for more information.)

(We’re still seeking support for this year’s Food for Thought Festival.  Even with all the volunteer effort, there still are costs associated with putting on this ever-growing event.  If you know any businesses, organizations, or individuals who would be interested in sponsoring Food for Thought, please let us know!)

Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch Project Hosts Successful Winter Harvest Meals at the Pilot Schools.
The Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch project (our farm-to-school project in partnership with UW-CIAS) has just completed serving “Winter Harvest Meals” for the families at our Madison pilot schools.  Students and their families from these three schools were treated to a dinner composed almost exclusively of locally and organically grown ingredients.  (Yup, even in the winter, it’s possible to eat local!)  Thanks to the MATC Culinary Arts program students and faculty who helped develop the menus and prepare these sensational meals!  Food was provided (and much of it donated) by regional farms and businesses including, Willy Street Co-op, Organic Valley, Rainbow Farmers Cooperative, Carandale Orchard, Northland Cranberries, Vermont Valley Community Farm, Sung Haven Farm, Sibby’s Organic, Sugar River Dairy, Forest Country Maple Syrup, and Gentle Breeze Honey.  

Each school customized a fun evening program to accompany the evening meal.  After experiencing this delicious dinner, watching the kids gobble up fresh wholesome food, and hearing a little more about Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch, the families and staff at these schools have a much better understanding of the importance of "linking the land with the lunchroom." The response from students, staff, and families was overwhelmingly positive.  “Alice in Dairyland” even joined the festivities at Shorewood Elementary encouraging kids to “eat local.”

In addition to the educational activities in the pilot schools (like these meals, field trips and classroom events) WHL moves forward working with the Madison Metropolitan School District Food Service to encourage procurement of locally and sustainably grown products for the district’s lunch program.  There are many challenges to making significant local purchasing a reality, but we are committed to continuing the steady progress toward identifying and finding solutions to those obstacles.  

If you’re interested in learning more about WHL or getting involved in our activities, come to the next Farm-to-School planning meeting Tuesday, March 30th at the Willy St Co-op meeting room at 5:30.  Or contact Sara Tedeschi at smtedeschi@facstaff.wisc.edu.  

                                                                                  

What’s in a Name? 
OK, this one’s just for fun.  This newsletter needs a snappier name.  “Broadcaster” works-- but is not particularly descriptive.  Here are some of the ideas that have been batted around:

Reaper’s Digest        REAP Thymes        Farm to Table
The REAP Reporter       On REAP’s Plate

Let us know what you think!  Vote for one of these or send your own idea. Let’s let those creative juices flow!


                                                                                  

Old Friend / New Opportunity.
Ruth Ozeki (key-note speaker from the 2002 Food for Thought Festival) will be in town for a book signing.  Her new novel, ALL OVER CREATION  has now been released in paperback.  This book deals with agribusiness and genetic engineering of seeds in a provocative, humorous, and sometimes shocking way.  The signing will be Sat., April 3 at 3pm to 4:30pm. at A Room of One's Own Bookstore. (Check with Room of One's Own Bookstore for schedule changes.) 
    
                                                                                                                                    

And now for a favorite seasonal recipe ...
By Terese Allen
Copyright 2003   


"Scottish Rainy Day" Cauliflower Blue Cheese Soup


Ever since the cold, soggy day in Edinburgh when I first tasted this soul-satisfier, I knew I would have to replicate it at home. The Scottish version featured Stilton cheese, but Wisconsin has its own distinguished veined varieties, including the velvety blue from Hook's in Mineral Point, the gorgonzola from Salemville Cheese, an Amish cooperative near Cambria, and Farmer's John's gorgonzola, available weekly at the Winter Market in downtown Madison.


2-3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped leeks
5-6 cups chopped cauliflower
3 to 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, divided
6 or more ounces blue cheese (crumbled), divided
salt and white pepper


Melt butter in pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks; cook until tender. Add cauliflower and enough stock to barely cover cauliflower; simmer until cauliflower is tender, 12-15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender. Stir in half-and-half, plus half the tarragon. Simmer slowly 3-4 minutes. Stir in half the cheese; season with salt and white pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkling some of the remaining blue cheese and tarragon into each one. Makes 6 servings.

If you have any questions about any of REAP’s programs
or want to learn more about how to help, contact REAP’s Executive Director, Miriam Grunes. (miriamg@reapfoodgroup.org)



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