Farm to Restaurant Partnership Workshop
Post Date: January 27, 2010
On Monday, February 1, Slow Food First Coast is hosting a breakfast and workshop to learn more about successful farm partnerships from those in the field! This is a free seminar to bring together local farmers, ranchers, artisans, and local restaurants. Space is limited.
Some of the topics covered will be:
• Reasons to make the effort to establish local partnerships.
• How to find farmers, ranchers, and artisans.
• How to make crop plans.
• The process of ordering and receiving the products.
• The significance of locally grown food.
Key-note Speakers will feature:
• Nan Kavanaugh of 29 South Restaurant in Fernandina
• Genie Kepner of Du Jour Market and Catering in St. Augustine
• Chef David Bearl of the Culinary School at First Coast Technical College
• David Dinkins, Director of the St. Johns County Extension Service
Please view the event website HERE!
Winterfest 2010 - January 14, 15, & 16, 2010
Post Date: January 07, 2010
Join the chefs and students of the First Coast Technical College as we heat up our kitchens with a bevy of competitions. This is our 15th annual competition! It is hard to believe we’ve been at it so long, so come join us and help make this the best round of competitions ever!
As in years past we begin with an ice-breaker reception on the evening of Thursday the 14th. Then on the 15th the Junior Member teams will do their Skills Salon and heat up the kitchens. On Saturday the 16th both students and professionals get to compete. Professional chefs will do the Pro-Chef Signature Hot Food Challenge – Category K and students have the opportunity to show their skills by doing the SK-1 competition. This is the first year we’ve done the SK category and it should be a lot of fun. While the pros and students work in the kitchens the Salon participants will wow us with their incredible creations.
Awards receptions will be held on Friday the 15th for the Junior Member teams. At noon on Saturday the 16th the Salon awards will be presented. The Pro-Chef Signature Hot Food Challenge and SK-1 awards will be presented as soon as the judging of this event is finished.
As in past years we will roll out the southern hospitality and make sure participants and quests alike will be well fed. We plan to make this the best event we’ve ever done so please get your reservations in. Space may be limited and is based on a first come, first entered basis.
We can’t wait to see you again!
David S. Bearl, CCC, CCE
Program Director
FCTC School of Culinary Arts
2980 Collins Avenue
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
904-547-3460
Fax: 904-547-3459
E-mails: david.bearl@fctc.edu; rotachef@yahoo.com
Slow Food Field Trip~ 29 South!
Dear Snails,
I am excited to announce a Slow Food field trip to 29 South Restaurant in Fernandina Beach on Saturday, October 17, for a special lunch date with Chef Scotty Schwartz and his lovely wife Nan Kavanaugh, the masterminds and gracious hosts behind North Florida's premier farm to table dining establishment. Together they have created an outstanding network of small family farms from our region that supply the restaurant with extraordinary ingredients that Chef Scotty allows to shine simply yet elegantly.
I was blown away by the freshness and tantilizing flavors of the dishes at 29 South and was impressed by the vibrant garden Nan lovingly tends to a stone's throw from the eatery's kitchen out back. You can learn more about the restaurant's philosophy and drool over the menu at www.29southrestaurant.com.
I hope you will join me for this delicious event, which will also include a visit to Fernandina Beach's wonderful Saturday morning farmers' market.
Please RSVP to me by Thursday, Oct 8, so that I may reserve your space, which is limited.
Lincolnville's Community Garden Update
Hello CitySprouters,
Progress continues on the Lincolnville Community Garden (LCG). The LCG construction crew is busy installing the gardens infrastructure. So far, we've installed the perimeter fence, filled and leveled the site, and are set to complete the education pavilion this week. We have available funds to complete the raised garden boxes and install the edible grove. However, we will need to raise more money in order to complete the gardens tool shed.
The LCG recently applied for a $2,000 Brighter Planet Micro Grant. The goal of the Brighter Planet Grant Fund is to seed worthy projects that will help communities reduce their carbon footprint. The LCG will allow neighbors to effectively reduce their personal carbon footprint, while participating in a social and recreational activity. The garden is also already inspiring neighbors to garden in their own backyards, further reducing our community¹s carbon footprint.
The garden needs your help to win this grant!!! It's a very easy way to help. Follow the 3 steps below.
1) Visit the following link
http://brighterplanet.com/project_fund_projects/22
2) Select the "Sign up" link. Then enter your email, create a user name and password. That's all that is required.
3) Each Brighter Planet community member is given THREE votes. You can apply all THREE votes to the Lincolnville Community Garden.
The more votes we get the better chance we have at obtaining the grant. So please spread the word or forward this e-mail to anyone that you think might be interested. We very much appreciate your time in voting to award the Lincolnville Community Garden a Brighter Planet Grant.
Please visit citysprout.org to learn more about our communities gardening endeavor.
Be the Seed, Sprout a Garden!
-Cash
citysprout.org