The Taste Education Series

Cafe Montmartre invites you to a taste education experience:

Wine and Cheese tasting

Wednesday, December 10th

5:00-7:00

Free!

A new monthly happy hour!

2008 Fair Trade Holiday Festival

Check out their website for more information:

http://www.calamadison.org/fthf08/

Madison Hours Holiday Trade Fair

If you’re unfamiliar with Madison Hours, check out their website at http://www.madisonhours.org/.

*** The next FERMENT happy hour is: Monday, December 8th, 5:30-7:30 PM

We’re bringing back one of our first tastings by popular demand… SQUASH! The flavor differences between varieties is quite interesting and you’ll be able to taste for yourself at the next Ferment Happy Hour. Some of naturally quite a bit sweeter than others while some have more complexity of flavor nuances.

Come on down to the next Ferment for the tasting and to mingle/socialize with others involved/passionate about local food and sustainable agriculture. We look forward to seeing you on the 8th!

What is Ferment?

FERMENT – the local food and sustainable agriculture happy hour.
This informal (and free) happy hour began in 2006 as a place for Madison area farmers, activists, cooks, students, food lovers and others who care about sustainable agriculture and local food issues to come together and socialize on a regular basis. We hope you can join us!

When: The next FERMENT is:  Monday, December 8th, 5:30-7:30 PM We meet the second Monday of every month – mark it in your calendars.

Where: RP’s Pasta/Fork & Spoon Café, 1133 E. Wilson St.
http://www.thedailypage.com/theguide/venue.php?venue=2663

Peter Robertson of R.P.’s Pasta has graciously opened up his restaurant and created a space for us to mingle, eat, drink and be merry. The Café is easy to get to by bike, bus and car with plenty of bike and car parking available. It’s only about 5-10 minutes from the Capitol square, depending on your mode of transportation.

Who: You! Friends and family welcome. Please feel free to pass along this announcement or have friends sign up for our gatherings/announcement list via our website.

For more information, check out their website:
http://www.fermentmadison.org/

Help a Biodiversity Pioneer After Tragic Barn Fire

A message from Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA:

Dear Leaders,

I just got off the phone with Arie McFarlen who is a member of our Ark of
Taste committee.  Arie owns of the Maveric Heritage Ranch, where she has single-handedly saved several rare breeds of pigs, bringing them back from the brink of extinction.  Tragically, last week, Arie’s barn burned to the ground killing over 40 of her rare breed hogs, sows with babies and her treasured horse.  She lost everything – the feed she’d put
away for the winter, the feeding troughs – she doesn’t even have a pitch-fork.  Yet she still has other animals to care for. Since it was an electrical fire and electricity powers her water pump there was no water on the farm to put out the fire.

Arie is devastated, but full of hope. Fortunately she kept duplicate breeding pairs of her rare breeds in multiple locations on the farm, so no breed was lost.  Those remaining animals are keeping her going.  Her neighbors are helping her out as well.  She told me about neighbors using tractors to bring water for her animals until the pump could be restored with temporary power.  She said, “One thing about living in a rural community is that everyone pitches in when something goes wrong.”  To continue her work though she is going to need more help than her neighbors can give. Our shared work makes us all a part of her community and we should pitch in too.

Unfortunately there isn’t a chapter in South Dakota yet, so we’re reaching out to the larger Slow Food community.  A special fund has been set up to help, and you can find more information in the linked press release.  It is important that we take care of each other in times like these.  I encourage you to share this information with your members, and if you can, to give your support.

Donations can be made online at www.maveric9.com or sent to the “Endangered Hog Foundation” in care of Maveric Heritage Ranch Co. at:
Endangered Hog Foundation
Maveric Heritage Ranch Co.
47869-242nd St.
Dell Rapids, South Dakota 57022

You can read a letter from Arie on the Slow Food USA blog at
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/blog_post/help_a_biodiversity_pioneer/.

Thanks,

Josh Viertel

CHEW Update

Interested in food history?

Click here for the most recent update fromt he Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin, including information about their next meeting!

Green Week

Check out all of the activities that the Green Coalition has planned for this week!