Food for Thought Festival

Events at the 2011 Festival included...

Potato Sack Race With Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton
The always popular Kids' Tent welcomes special guest Suzy Favor Hamilton representing the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association. Favor Hamilton will host a potato sack race, giving kids a chance to play in a fun competition with the three-time Olympian.

Organic Garden Exhibit
Community GroundWorks will host an organic garden exhibit where they will demonstrate techniques for growing a successful garden without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Gardening experts will be on hand to answer questions and to share strategies for implementing a sustainable garden at home.

Chef Cooking Competition
Authors Joan  Peterson and Terese Allen will be leading a chef cooking competition that takes inspiration from their newly released Wisconsin Local Foods Journal. Chefs Steve Buchholz, David McKercher, and Peter Robertson will be given a collection of mystery ingredients purchased at the adjacent Dane County Farmers' Market from which they are asked to prepare a dish on the spot. While the competing chefs prepare their entries, personal chef Pat Mulvey will lead "What's in YOUR Farmers' Market Bag?" a question and answer session on cooking locally.

All About Apples
A second session in the demonstration tent will lead the audience through a fun and informative look at apples, one of the most adaptable and delicious foods grown in our region. Guests will be guided through a tasting of the remarkable variety of apples and learn how to make their very own cider press.

Chicken Chat
Susan Troller, writer for the Capital Times and author of CLUCK: From Jungle Fowl to City Chicks will share her love for and insight on this most humble of beasts, the chicken. In addition to reading from her book, Troller will walk the audience through the basics of raising backyard chickens and give advice on how to choose good eggs and quality chicken for those who enjoy chickens, just not in their backyard.

Local Food Tent
The Buy Fresh food tent will give festival-goers an opportunity to select from a menu of items prepared by some of the area's most celebrated chefs. Tasty lunch dishes will be made on-sight by chefs from L'Etoile, LaFortuna, Paoli Bread and Brat House, Monty's Blue Plate Diner, Tex Tubbs Taco Palace, and others. Delicious baked goods will be available during the breakfast hour.

And Much More...
Along with the hubbub in the demonstration tent, other festival events include the Food for Thought Raffle, chile roasting, a mini-hoophouse building workshop, small farm animal petting and many wonderful things to taste, touch and smell.