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Tod Murphy at Food for Thought Festival
Photo by Lori Compas
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Tod
Murphy shared his model of the Farmers’ Diner with food
producers and restaurant professionals in a session before the
Food for Thought Forum. His “break all the rules”
entrepreneurial commitment to closing the holes in food system
infrastructure is absolutely inspirational. Conversations
begun at that workshop will clearly continue in our local
restaurant community as we work toward efforts to bring
more local foods into restaurants at every price range. |
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Likewise, Eliot Coleman performed a workshop for 90 vegetable
growers on the “nuts and bolts” of winter vegetable
production in northern climates. Thanks to all the farmers
who came—many after a long morning at the Dane County
Farmers’ Market. Building season extension capacity has
the potential to open a wonderful new market for Wisconsin
growers. And, of course to provide fresh local produce in the
months we traditionally are without.
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We’ll soon begin planning Food for Thought 2005.
Suggestions for speakers or themes are welcome! And, of
course, helping on a planning committee is a fun way to become
more active in REAP. Look for planning meeting announcements
in the coming months.
And if you didn't get your
Festival
t-shirt, let Miriam know... there are still a few available in
most sizes. (miriamg@reapfoodgroup.org)
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For more photos from Food for Thought, [Click
Here.]
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Wisconsin
Homegrown Lunch Project:
Full steam ahead with new staff.
So much is happening with
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch, we’ll soon be issuing a separate e-newsletter
just for this
project. Just a couple highlights here...
And highlights they are! The Madison Metropolitan
School District will be serving its first
district-wide “Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch” on November 24th
at every elementary school in the district. (That's ~8000 meals!)
This is a huge leap from offering the meals at only the 3 pilot
schools and demonstrates a fantastic commitment from the Madison
School Food Service to move farm-to-school forward. The meal
will include a chicken/veggie wrap sandwich (with locally sourced
fresh veggies and flour tortilla), a local apple, and a sweet
potato muffin made from fresh local sweet potatoes.
This
meal is the result of two years of dedicated relationship-building
with the Food Service and strong supportive educational activities
with students. Although there are still many challenges
ahead toward significant changes in the Food Service's purchasing
policies, this "Harvest Meal" is truly a major
milestone. |
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Meanwhile the 2004-2005 school year is off to a great start in the
three pilot elementary schools (Lincoln, Shorewood, and Chavez),
where students have already taken field trips to local farms and
are about to begin classroom tasting activities.
We are also happy to announce our
first efforts in a middle school setting at Blackhawk Elementary
School. This middle school pilot is |
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especially
exciting for us because we are there as part of the “Healthful
Foods, Healthy Communities” project. The “HFHC”
project is a joint effort to increase access to healthy food and
share nutrition and food system education in a “triangle of life
spaces”—at home, at school, and in the community.
Our partner organizations in HFHC are Friends of Troy Gardens, UW Extension Nutrition
Education Program, and Partner Shares Program of MACSAC.
By working together, sharing language and resources, we become
more than the sum of our parts; expanding the power of our
messages. REAP is pleased to have hired Fawn Houck as the
Education Coordinator for the activities at Blackhawk.
Please feel free to contact Fawn with any questions, concerns or
suggestions (or just to welcome her aboard!) You can reach
Fawn at fawnh@reapfoodgroup.org.
(The Healthful Foods, Healthy Communities project is supported
through funding from the Bradshaw-Knight Foundation and the
Madison Community Foundation.)
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Speaking
of personnel transitions… many of you have heard by now that
Sara Tedeschi, who has been the Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch
Coordinator for the last two years, is soon leaving the position
to move back to her family farm in Vernon County. Sara has
been the mind, the heart, and the muscle of WHL from day one and
we are so grateful for all she has brought to this project.
In the last two years there were several times Sara pushed through
what seemed like insurmountable obstacles. The upcoming
district-wide meal is evidence of her skills and persistence to
never lose sight of the goal.
Although saying good-bye to Sara is very sad, we are happy
to announce that the reigns of WHL are being turned over to very
capable hands. As of October, Doug Wubben has been hired as
the new WHL Coordinator.
Many of you know Doug from his work
at Drumlin Farm, MACSAC and Partner Shares. Doug has also
been involved in WHL as Lincoln School’s “farmer-educator” |
Sara, thank you so much for
all you’ve done for WHL! It’s truly been a pleasure working with you
and we wish you the greatest success and happiness in your
“post-Madison” life.
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for over a year and knows the project and its levels of complexity
well. Sara and Doug will have one more full month working
together, providing a critical transition period and allowing the
project to move forward fairly seamlessly. Welcome Doug!!
(you can contact Doug with WHL matters at dwubben@wisc.edu) |
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Support Winter Farmers’ Markets!
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The
end of October doesn’t mean we all have to stop thinking about making
healthy, local, and fresh food choices. Many of our
freezers and pantries are full of frozen, canned, or dried
products we’ve been putting away throughout the summer.
(Why didn’t I pick that extra flat of strawberries last
June?!)
This year, once again, we’ll also have access to Farmers’
Markets all winter long.
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The
Dane County Winter Farmers’ Market will be held on
Saturdays from 7:30 am – noon, first at Monona Terrace (November
13- Dec 18), and then starting on January 8th, ’05 at the
Senior Center (next to Capitol City Foods on Mifflin Street.)
The Senior Center markets will continue each Saturday till April
18th, after which markets will resume outdoors on the square.
Be sure to also come enjoy the "Taste of the Market
Breakfasts," a delicious tradition as part of the Winter
Markets starting in January.
This
year, for the first time, there will also be an indoor winter farmers’
market at Hilldale Shopping Center. Hilldale's
winter market
will run on Saturdays from 9:00 am– 2:00 pm beginning Saturday
Nov 6th.
Please
support these markets and the growers who work year round to
provide us with sustainable seasonal food choices.
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Events Calendar.
Michael Fields
Agricultural Institute's
12th Annual Urban Rural Food Systems Conference
November 13-14, 2004,
East Troy, WI.
"Celebrating Diversity: The Key to Healthy Farms, Food &
Families."
Keynote Speaker: Patrick Martins, cofounder of Slow Food USA.
A conference for people concerned about the quality of their food and
where and how it is produced. Conference runs Saturday and
Sunday with a Saturday night Harvest Dinner and
Barn Dance at MFAI.
For more information: visit www.MichaelFieldsAgInst.org
or contact Gail Kahovic at 262-642-3303 ext. 100 or gkahovic@MichaelFieldsAgInst.org.
The 16th Annual Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference
February 24-26, 2005, La Crosse, Wisconsin
The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) will
host the 16th annual Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference at the La Crosse Center. This year’s theme “Make Mine Organic!”
reflects the growing excitement and enthusiasm for healthy food and
farming practices across the region and around the world.
To receive a pre-conference flyer, with complete information on the
Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference and the Organic University,
email: info@mosesorganic.org,
call 715-772-3153 or write UMOFC P.O. Box 339, Spring Valley, WI
54767. (Flyers will be mailed in early December.)
For updates on the conference and for an electronic version of this
press release, visit our website at: www.mosesorganic.org
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Food for Thought Recipe
Contest
Grand Prize Winner 2004 |
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Green
Tomato Mince Spice Bars with Brandy Glaze
by Laura Hoover, Middleton
”Last summer, I used
the some of the surplus green tomatoes from my neighbor's garden
at the end of the growing season to make the green tomato mince. I
put together the recipe for this mincemeat from several that I
found in various cookbooks. I had so much mincemeat, I didn't know
what to do. Especially, as I didn't even like the stuff. So
I froze most of it that being easier than canning it. Then I had
to find ways to use it. I took a couple of recipes that I had
developed previously for nutbreads and fruitcakes to use as a
basis for the green tomato mince bars recipe. I also used the
mincemeat to make pies and fruitcakes for the holidays last year.
Oh, and I even learned that I like mincemeat now.” |
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Green Tomato Mince:
3 cups finely chopped and drained green tomatoes,
3 cups finely chopped tart cooking apples or pears or combination,
2 cups brown sugar,
2 cups raisins, dried cherries or dried cranberries
2 teaspoons cinnamon,
1 teaspoon salt,
1 teaspoon allspice,
1 teaspoon cloves,
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar,
zest of an orange half (optional),
zest of a lemon half (optional),
3/8 cup of candied fruit and peels (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and bring all
to a boil on high. This could take an hour or so.
Uncover and simmer on low for 2 hours. Stir frequently as it can
burn easily. Cool completely. To store, freeze in airtight
containers. Makes 5- 6 cups.
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Laura Hoover demonstrating recipe at Food For Thought Festival.
photo by Lori Compas
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Green Tomato Mince Spice Bars with Brandy Glaze:
3 cups flour,
2 cups sugar,
1 teaspoon baking soda,
1/4 teaspoon baking powder,
2 lightly beaten eggs,
1 cup vegetable oil,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract,
4 cups homemade green tomato mince
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
Heat over to 350 degrees. Oil a 12 x 18” jelly roll pan or
cookie sheet with sides. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda,
and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix eggs, oil, and
vanilla in a smaller bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry
ingredients. Fold in 4 scant cups green tomato mince. Spread
in prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted near center
comes out clean, 40 - 45 minutes. Cool. Mix powdered sugar and
brandy until smooth. Drizzle glaze over bars and spread
thinly with knife. Sprinkle with walnuts. Cut into 40 bars. This
is even better the next day.
Congratulations,
Laura! Thanks for sharing this great way to use our green
tomatoes! We hope you enjoy your culinary vacation at the
Washington Hotel! |
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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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