It’s time again for Quick Bites, a harvest of Farm Fresh news.
How sweet it is: TONIGHT, July 27, at 6 pm (movie at 9:15), Market Restaurant in Raleigh will host a music and movie night in its parking lot, featuring the film “Vanishing of the Bees.” Speaking of bees, congrats goes to Chad McIntyre, Market chef and co-owner, for meeting the goal of his Kickstarter campaign to help fund the Raleigh Apiary Project. Chad has two rooftop hives now, and he’ll add four as well as connect one to a camera that will allow local schoolchildren to follow the bees. The honey will be used in dishes at Market and at Escazu, the premium chocolatier next door.
A top prize: An overdue shout-out to my friend and fellow Durhamite Jonathan Bloom, who tied for first place in the “Food Matters” category of the International Association of Culinary Professionals book awards for his thoughtful and thought-provoking book “American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food ( and What We Can Do About It).” I wrote this profile of Jonathan for Ode Magazine after the book came out last fall.
CEFS campaign is 100% impressive: In the year since the Center for Environmental Farming Systems launched its 10% campaign, a statewide initiative to stimulate economic development, create jobs and promote North Carolina’s farms and fisheries, more than $5.7 million in local foods expenditures have been reported by local individuals, organizations and institutions participating in the campaign. The campaign enters its second year with renewed funding and increased participation, by both the public, educational institutions and large-scale food purchasers. This is one effort that is really making a difference. If you haven’t yet signed up, go for it!
From Walking Fish to Local Catch: Speaking of making a difference, Duke alum Joshua Stoll, a driving force behind the formation of Walking Fish, the Southeast’s first Community Supported Fishery, is on to a new nationally focused project – www.localcatch.org, an online network that links consumers around the country to CFSs. In the future, its reach will extend to other “locally relevant” businesses. I wrote about sustainability factors of CSFs for OnEarth last year.
Taste Carolina travels beyond Triangle: Our friends at Taste Carolina have expanded tour locations to Hillsborough, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem. Tours have been ongoing for years in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill/Carrboro. The walking/tasting tours are held most Saturday afternoons, year-round, an evening Raleigh tour has been added, and private tours are available. Great activity for newcomers, visitors, and locals who want the back story! Here’s a look at my tasty tour earlier this year.
