November 18

7.30 pm

at the new Christ & Holy Trinity Church

75 Church Lane, Westport

The Westport Farmers Market  invites you to the Fairfield County premier of the documentary film Farmageddon: The Unseen War on American Family Farms. Filmmaker Kristin Canty’s quest to find healthy food for her four children turned into an educational journey to discover why access to these foods was being threatened. Farmageddon highlights the urgency of food freedom, encouraging farmers and consumers alike to take action to preserve individuals’ rights to access food of their choice and farmers’ rights to produce these foods safely and free from unreasonably burdensome regulations.

Watch the trailer here: http://farmageddonmovie.com/

Come for an educational evening filled with local food, wine and great networking.

After viewing the documentary Farmageddon the audience will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with guest experts Annie Farrell of Millstone Farm, Michel Nischan from Wholesome Wave and The Dressing Room and Suzanne Sankow from Beaver Brook Farm.

Tickets are $10 and available for purchase at http://westportcinema.org/.

About the Guest Experts:

Annie Farrell

Annie Farrell is the Master Farmer at Millstone Farm, a 75-acre property in Wilton, CT. Millstone Farm, a vision of owner Betsy Fink, is a working farm and serves as a hub for education and outreach. Millstone regularly hosts workshops and action-learning activities, and partners with farmers, community organizations, school groups, restaurateurs, and others interested in learning about diverse, chemical-free farming. The farm’s practices are geared towards achieving a closed loop system where the farm’s varied parts contribute to the whole working body. Millstone Farm produces food for local restaurants, local family-owned markets, and a small CSA. The farm strives to use best farm practices, encourage their implementation, and promote awareness about their positive impact on local economies, the community, and our quality of life.

Annie Farrell was born, and raised in NYC, and spent summers in Northern Westchester County where she fell in love with the farms that still operated there. Inspired by Helen and Scott Nearing, she settled in Bovina, NY, in Delaware County in 1973, where she built a stone house and learned farming skills from the old-timers who remembered how to farm productively before ‘modern’ agriculture took over. As the farms began to disappear, she was determined to offer alternatives to diversify the dairy farmers. The Delaco Agricultural Co-op, which she started, organized 40 farms into producing and delivering products locally. She was inspired by Flying Foods International, the first Specialty Food venture in NYC, to demonstrate other, more valuable crops for the region, and built a business called ”Annie’s”, which delivered her and other producers’ specialty wares to NYC and the Union Square Green Market. Organic Mesclun was unheard of, and she was selling it at Greenmarket, and to top Chefs. After selling that business, she was the first Director of the CADE project, (Center for Agricultural Development & Entrepreneurship), which continues to help farms diversify. She founded NELA, the New England Livestock Alliance, using several European models, and introduced Devon cattle as one of the best breeds for efficient grazing production. Since 2006, she has been working with Betsy Fink to build a community and model for small, diversified farming at Millstone Farm. In addition to her work on the farm, Annie also acts as the Ag & Food Systems Program Coordinator for the Betsy and Jesse Fink Foundation. In this role, Annie has added her expertise to such programs as the Wilton High School Garden, Stepping Stone’s Edible Garden, and Fodor Farm thereby complementing  the foundation’s grant making in the sector.

Michel Nischan

Michel Nischan, CEO, Founder and President of Wholesome Wave, grew up with a great appreciation and respect for local agriculture and those who work the land. He translated these childhood values into a career as a James Beard Award-winning chef, author and restaurateur, becoming a catalyst for change in the sustainable food movement. An Ashoka Fellow, Michel serves on the Board of Trustees for the James Beard Foundation, The Rodale Institute and The Center for Health and the Global Environment (Harvard Medical School).

Suzanne Sankow:

Owned by the Sankow family since 1917, Sankow’s Beaver Brook Farm in Lyme CT started as a dairy farm. In 1984 Suzanne and Stan introduced sheep and in 2002, they reintroduced cattle. Now, this beautiful one hundred and seventy five acre farm is a sheep and cow dairy farm featuring raw milk products. The Sankows are committed to producing the highest quality goods while protecting the environment. Their products are available to consumers at the Westport Farmers’ Market.

Farmageddon is presented by the Westport Cinema Initiative and Westport Farmers’ Market and sponsored by Whole Foods Market.  The screening will take place on Friday, November 18th, at 7:30pm at Christ and the Holy Trinity Church on 75 Church Lane in Westport.

SYNOPSIS:
Americans’ right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choice is
under attack. Farmageddon tells the story of small, family farms
that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and
were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by agents of
misguided government bureaucracies, and seeks to figure out why.

Filmmaker Kristin Canty’s quest to find healthy food for her four
children turned into an educational journey to discover why access
to these foods was being threatened. What she found were policies
that favor agribusiness and factory farms over small family operated
farms selling fresh foods to their communities.

Instead of focusing on the source of food safety problems — most often the
industrial food chain — policymakers and regulators implement and
enforce solutions that target and often drive out of business small
farms that have proven themselves more than capable of producing
safe, healthy food, but buckle under the crushing weight of
government regulations and excessive enforcement actions.

Farmageddon highlights the urgency of food freedom,
encouraging farmers and consumers alike to take action to preserve
individuals’ rights to access food of their choice and farmers’
rights to produce these foods safely and free from unreasonably
burdensome regulations. The film serves to put policymakers and
regulators on notice that there is a growing movement of people
aware that their freedom to choose the foods they want is in
danger, a movement that is taking action with its dollars and its
voting power to protect and preserve the dwindling number of
family farms that are struggling to survive.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

1:00pm-3:00pm

at Sport Hill Farm, 596 Sport Hill Road, Easton, CT

Sustainable Pastry Chef Robyn Eads, founder of Peace Tree Desserts, invites you to an artisanal honey tasting celebrating the single nectar source honeys of Weston-based Red Bee Honey. The three course eco-luxe tasting menu prepared by Chef Eads features Red Bee’s artisanal single-nectar source honeys and foods from local artisans and organic farms in Connecticut. Each course will be paired with wines from Connecticut wineries (selections TBA).

The afternoon will begin with a Prosecco and cheese reception featuring artisan and farmstead cheeses from Connecticut’s own Cato Corner Farm and Beltane Farm paired with Red Bee’s honeys. Patti Popp, owner of Sport Hill Farm, will lead guests on a tour of her organic farm. Guest speaker Marina Marchese, honey sommelier, author and founder of Red Bee Honey, will masterfully pair her line of artisanal honeys throughout the tasting and share the captivating story of her personal journey into beekeeping.

ARTISANAL HONEY TASTING MENU

Cheese and Honey Bar

Artisanal Cheeses from Cato Corner and Beltane Farm, Red Bee’s Single-Nectar Source Honeys, Locally Sourced Accompaniments

1st Course

Lady Apple, Grapefruit, Whipped Crème Fraiche, Bee Pollen, Mint, Ginger,

Apple Honey-Lime Vinaigrette, Honeycomb, Pomegranate

2nd Course

Pumpkin Honey, Goat Cheesecake, Warm Bamboo Honey Candied Pumpkin, Pistachios

3rd Course

Taza Chocolate, Beets, Chocolate Stout,

Cocoa Nibs, Buckwheat Honey

$75 per person

Seating is limited to 30 guests.

To reserve your seat online, please visit www.peacetreedesserts.com

For more information about Chef Eads, click here: Peace Tree Desserts: Local, Luxe and Luscious

For more information about Marina Marchese, beekeeper, author and founder of Red Bee Honey, click here.

This free event packs the house and just gets better each year. Whether you’re hunting for a green job, interested in learning a few more ways to live green, or curious about cutting edge ways to grow food sustainably in an urban environment, GME is the place to be.

MetroCrops, CT Green Building Council and Bridgeport Land Trust headline this year’s Green Market Exposition, Thursday, October 20th at City Hall Annex, Bridgeport, CT and will provide presentations on green technology that support Bridgeport’s growing sustainable infrastructure. Other presentations include a roundtable on Building Sustainable Communities, Creating and Supporting a Sustainable Food Infrastructure and Indoor Air Quality. More than 25 Connecticut organizations and green businesses are exhibiting at the Third Annual Green Market Exposition.

GreenTowns, new to the Green Market Exposition this year, will feature it’s CT Campaign for Sustainable Communities and will invite people to join town pages, share local initiatives, and connect with sustainability leaders, mayors, green businesses, non-profits and community members who want to work together to build awareness and support each other in the “greening” of Connecticut.

GreenTowns is designed to facilitate and accelerate these connections. The faster people connect around green, the quicker Connecticut will become sustainable. Returning to the GME this year, is St. Vincent’s Medical Center who will also be exhibiting and sharing their commitment to sustainability with the community.

Other exhibitors include Sunlight Solar Energy, Hometronics Lifestyle, Easy Care Energy Solutions, Gumdrop Swap, BGreen 2020, and Recyclbank. Media sponsors include E Magazine, CT Environmental Headlines, Fairfield Green Food Guide and Natural Awakenings-Fairfield County.

“The beginning phases of a sustainable infrastructure are becoming to become a reality in towns throughout Connecticut. Single-stream recycling, EV charging stations, farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture are all part of our communities. And this is just the beginning,” said Green Market Exposition Co-founder Daphne Dixon.

The Green Market Exposition is free and open to the public. All are welcome and encouraged to come and learn about sustainable communities.

For a complete list of exhibitors and schedule of events, please visit www.greenmarketexposition.org.

YWCA Greenwich invites you to spend an evening with Terry Walters, a sustainable food advocate, nutritionist and author of Clean Food and Clean Start. Guests will enjoy tastings prepared by Chef Andy Burke from recipes in Walters’ cookbooks. Local, organic ingredients for this menu are provided by Mike’s Organic Delivery. The talk and tasting will be followed by a Q&A session, book sale and signing, and opportunity to visit with the exhibitors.

Date: Thursday, October 20

Time: 6:00-8:00 pm

Tickets: $25 per person

RSVP: Tiffany at YWCA at 203-869-6501, ext. 106 or www.ywcagreenwich.org/terrywalters

In Celebration of

Fairfield Green Food Guide & Slow Food Metro North Present:

Overcoming Obstacles to Improving School Food

With Nationally Recognized Experts Amy Kalafa and John Turenne

Join nationally recognized experts Amy Kalafa, author of Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children’s Health, and John Turenne, Founder & President of Sustainable Food Systems, for a high impact workshop that teaches attendees successful approaches for overcoming common obstacles to making school meals more healthful and sustainable. This workshop is designed for all stakeholders in our children’s health and wellness.

“We really cannot rely on the federal government to fix school food; the government provides a baseline and it is up to each individual school district to determine the quality of each school’s food environment. This is a grassroots issue and there are any number of local solutions. The solutions are found when members of the school community start paying attention and taking action.” – Amy Kalafa

“As long as school food is provided limited funding, cost will always be a factor.  However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t simple ways to overcome inadequate  food.  We can start by step by step substituting real, whole and fresh ingredients for processed.” – John Turenne

Choose from Two Sessions:

Greenwich at Audubon Greenwich, 12:00 noon-1:00 pm. $10 admission includes a Slow Food Metro North $5 Challenge lunch catered by Concierge Foods of Bedford Hills. RSVP required.

Fairfield at Pequot Library, 7:00-8:00 pm. $10 admission includes light refreshments. RSVP required.

Both events will be followed by a Q&A session and book sale and signing.

To RSVP:

Greenwich only:

Tickets must be purchased online in advance so we can obtain an accurate lunch count. This is a working lunch. Vegetarian and vegan lunch options are available. Walk-ins cannot be guaranteed a seat or lunch. Click here to register and pay online by October 23.

Admission: $10 per person fee includes a  local farm-to-fork lunch which celebrates Slow Food Metro North’s $5 Challenge.

Time: 12:00 noon until 1:00, followed by a Q&A session, book sale and signing of Lunch Wars, and networking.

Important: Kindly arrive at 11:45 to register, pick up your lunch and beverage and be seated. This is a working lunch.

Location: Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT. Please call event organizer Analiese Paik at 203.520.3451 with any questions.

Fairfield only:

Admission: $10 per person fee includes the workshop and light refreshments.Click here to register and pay online by October 23.

Time: 7:00 to 8:00 pm, followed by a Q&A session, book sale and signing of Lunch Wars, and networking.

Important: Kindly arrive at 6:45 to register and be seated.

Location: Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Avenue, Southport, CT. Please call event organizer Analiese Paik at 203.520.3451 with any questions.

This event is organized by Fairfield Green Food Guide, LLC and Slow Food Metro North and made possible through the generous support of Audubon Greenwich, Pequot Library and Concierge Foods.

About Our Guest Presenters:

Amy Kalafa

Amy Kalafa has produced award-winning films and television programs, and has written magazine articles related to health education for more than twenty-five years. The producer/director of the acclaimed documentary film Two Angry Moms: Fighting for the Health of America’s Children, she has been featured on Good Morning America, Rachael Ray, and Fox News Live, and in USA Today and The New York Times. Kalafa lives with her family in Weston, Connecticut. http://angrymoms.org/

LUNCH WARS: How to Start A School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children’s Health (Tarcher/Penguin, August 2011) not only exposes the scary, hidden truth behind school lunches, but also gives parents the tools to do something about it. After author Amy Kalafa produced and directed the acclaimed documentary, Two Angry Moms, she was flooded with questions from parents who saw the film and wanted to know how to rid their own children’s schools of unhealthy—and sometimes dangerous—food. LUNCH WARS is Kalafa’s definitive response and an all-inclusive guide to help parents stage their own cafeteria coup.

LUNCH WARS is an invaluable reference. From First Lady Michelle Obama and her Let’s Move! campaign against childhood obesity to the average parent who’s struggling to instill good habits in their children, every American family has a stake in the book’s message. The next—and most crucial—step is to learn what LUNCH WARS teaches and integrate it into every school in America, on every day of the year.

John Turenne

John Turenne, founder and President of Sustainable Food Systems, is a nationally recognized leader and innovator in sustainable food practices. In his role as Executive Chef at Yale University and in the creation of the Yale Sustainable Food Project, John recognized the impact of food service decision-making on the world around us. His consulting company is on the cutting edge in developing best-practices tailored to benefit both the planet and the bottom line for clients. Turenne led the behind-the-scenes team that made Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” work in the Huntington, West Virginia school system.

John and his team at Sustainable Food Systems have worked with visionaries across the country who have had the desire to make positive changes to the way they do business. Sustainable Food Systems brings those ideas and desires to reality through careful assessment, planning, teaching and development.

Sustainable Food Systems’ client list includes The Culinary Institute of America; Yale University; Harvard Medical School; The East Harlem School; Jamie Oliver Ltd.; Cabell County, WV Public Schools;  St. Lukes Wood River Medical Center as well as multiple other public hospital and school systems.

John Turenne and Sustainable Food Systems were also instrumental in working with the Obama Administration in the development of the USDA’s Chefs Move to Schools initiative and continue to harvest national and international recognition. http://www.sustainablefoodsystems.com/

Resources:

Amy Kalafa: http://angrymoms.org/, http://www.tarcherbooks.net/?tag=lunch-wars

John Turenne: http://www.sustainablefoodsystems.com/

Fairfield Green Food Guide: http://fairfieldgreenfoodguide.com/

Slow Food Metro North: http://slowfoodmetronorth.org/

Food Day: http://foodday.org/

What is Food Day?

Aimed at promoting healthy, sustainable, affordable, and just food systems in America, Food Day is a national grassroots mobilization backed by some of the most prominent voices for energizing the food movement. On October 24, 2011, people will gather at events big and small and from coast to coast in homes, schools, colleges, churches, city halls, farmers’ markets, supermarkets, and elsewhere to raise awareness about food issues and advocate for change. Think of it as an Earth Day for food!

Spearheaded by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day is organized around six main policy goals:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

2. Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness

3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

4. Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms

5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

6. Support fair working conditions for food and farm workers

Who is partnering with Food Day?

Food Day’s advisory board is co-chaired by Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and includes such members as Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Marion Nestle, David Kessler, and Professor Walter Willett. Partners include the American Dietetic Association, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, UNITE Here, Humane Society of the U.S., Sierra Club, and Slow Food USA. A full list of advisors and partner organizations can be found at www.FoodDay.org.

Farm-To-Table Wine Dinner Party

In the Historic Ketay-Asnes Barn

at Audubon Greenwich

Saturday, October 15

6:00-9:00 pm

RSVP by Tuesday, October 11 at 5 pm

Please join us for a unique, food-centric dinner event showcasing seasonal ingredients from local, organic farms and wines from sustainably managed vineyards. Guests will be treated to exquisite wines paired with farm-fresh goodness sourced from organic & biodynamic farms. The evening will include wine education from Renee B. Allen of the Wine Institute of New England (WINE),  live music by trio Jealous Dog, and an auction of small items, including a green kitchen makeover from the Fairfield Green Food Guide, to benefit Audubon’s conservation and education initiatives.

FARM-TO-TABLE WINE DINNER MENU

Prepared by Chef Marc Alvarez

Guests will be greeted with passes hors d’oeuvres and sparkling wine.

Hors D’Oeuvres

Crostini of Nettle Meadow Farm Kunik Cheese & Stanley Plum Compote
Seared Snow Hill Farm Beef Carpaccio, Horseradish & Crisp Russet Potato

Fall Vegetable Crudités, Rosa Bianca Eggplant Baba Ganoush

Warm Chickpea Fritters & AMBA Farms Tomato Chutney

paired with

Albet I Noya Cava NV, Spain

Dinner

Ryder Farm Roast Pumpkin Soup
Wilted Sage, Black Trumpet Mushrooms & Mini Pumpkins

paired with

Bonterra Viognier, California

**********

Snow Hill Farm Duo Of Lamb
Wild Hive Polenta & Spigarello (Wild Broccoli)

paired with

Nuova Capelletta Barbera del Monferrato, Italy

Or

Cayuga Pure Organics Farro Risotto
Cooperstown Creamery “Toma Celena” & Fall Vegetable Medley

paired with

Bodegas Carrau Reserve Chardonnay, Uruguay

Dessert

Warm Cortland Apple Tart & Blue Pig Vanilla Gelato

paired with

Domaine de Mihoudy, Bonnezeaux, France

Tickets are $120 per person. Advance tickets required and limited to only 80 guests. To reserve your tickets or a table for 10 guests, contact Audubon’s Events Manager, Jeff Cordulack, at 203-869-5272 x239 by 5 pm on Tuesday, October 11. Payment by check or credit card & your choice of meal required in advance. Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT 06831. http://greenwich.audubon.org

This event was made possible through the generous support of:

FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com, Concierge Foods, The Wine Institute of New England, AOC Fine Wines, Mike’s Organic Delivery Service, The Metro North chapter of Slow Food USA

About Chef Marc Alvarez

Marc Alvarez began his cooking career at the tender age of 16. It was at this point that he started to develop his own unique cooking style. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Mr. Alvarez began honing his skills in various New York City restaurants, where he received accolades from New York Magazine’s Gael Green.

In the fall of 1996, Mr. Alvarez moved to the exclusive island of Anguilla, where he quickly established himself as one of the most revered chefs on the island. It was there that Marc Alvarez began to fine-tune his cooking abilities. He worked at establishments such as The Straw Hat Restaurant and The Castle Cove Resort, where he developed quite a following. Mr. Alvarez was part of Anguilla’s culinary team when he won an award for the most innovative Caribbean dish. He was also highlighted and acclaimed by the travel press and featured in the Robb Report, the Conde Nast Traveler, including the “Hot List,” and the New York Post.

The cuisine styled by Alvarez, who has cooked at Aureole and Andiamo, is a fusion of eclectic dishes, including spicy, carrot glazed shrimp on a pastry seesaw. Alvarez’s main concept is all about good products and simple preparations. In the spring of 2000, Mr. Alvarez returned to New York, where he worked for Michael and Judy Steinhardt as a private chef and developed a small but intimate catering business.

In 2002, he took over the helm of Crispo Restaurant and, two years later, joined Danny Meyers Union Square Hospitality Group. It was here that Mr. Alvarez was instrumental in the opening of the Cafes at the Museum of Modern Art. While at the MoMA, he received a great amount of acclaim from The New York Times; Dinners Journal, The New York Post, Nations Restaurant News and the Italian Corriere Della Sera. It is Marc Alvarez’s genuine love of cooking that has fueled his passion for the restaurant business for the last 20 years.

About Renee B. Allen of the Wine Institute of New England (WINE):

Renée B. Allen is the Founder and Director of the Wine Institute of New England and a Certified Specialist of  Wine. She is a member  of the Society of Wine Educators, the internationally recognized non-profit educational organization (501c3) whose mission is to advance wine education through professional development and certification.

An avid wine collector for many years, Allen’s passion for wine is the perfect complement to her love of cooking and fine dining. Allen decided to parlay this passion into a career to provide others with the language and confidence necessary to feel comfortable in the world of wine. Although well versed in wines from around the world, Allen has particular expertise in the specialty areas of biodynamic, organic and sustainable wines, as well as the wines of Connecticut. Whether it is a better understanding of basic grape varietals, a more extensive knowledge of a particular region, or the pursuit of certification in the specialty of wine, Allen seeks to guide others along their journey to epicurean enlightenment.

About Jealous Dog

Jealous Dog will provide an eclectic mix of songs, sweet harmonies, and a range of beats that span from soothing to foot-tap moving. Their inspired interpretations of well-known tunes like, Knock on Wood (Sam and Dave), Heroes (David Bowie), Take Me To The River (The Commitments), After The Gold Rush (Neil Young), Take A Chance on Me (ABBA) are sure to appeal to a wide range of tastes.

Foraging Tour at Sticks and Stones Farm

with Naturalist/Author “Wildman” Steve Brill

Sunday, Oct. 2

2:30-4:30

“Wildman” Steve Brill has been leading foraging tours for years at Sticks and Stones Farm in Newtown, a 60-acre organic sanctuary famous for its stone and moss gardens. This stone masonry farm and retreat features a wide variety of habitats—a mountain, meadows, woods, cultivated areas, and fields, and wetlands—all loaded with their associated wild plants and mushrooms. Steve Brill comes to the farm to lead tours three times a year -early spring, summer and fall – as each season offers different wild edibles to scout and collect.

On Sunday, Oct. 2, naturalist/author “Wildman” Steve Brill will lead one of his world-famous wild food and ecology tours at Sticks and Stones Farm. Bring a paper bag and small trowel, wear good walking shoes and a hat, carry a water bottle, and apply insect repellent.

Annie Stiefel from Sticks and Stones has a message for anyone interested:

“Nuts are at their peak now, and we’ll be on the lookout for black walnuts, shagbark hickories and white oak trees, all delicious, and unavailable commercially. Autumn fruits will also be in season. We’ll be looking for wild raisins, which taste like bananas and prunes; American hackberries, which taste like the candy coating of M&Ms; flavorful wild apples, hawthorn berries, somewhat similar to apples; and common spicebush berries, an allspice-like seasoning. Herbs, greens, and roots such as sassafras, lamb’s-quarters, burdock, common evening primrose, field garlic, sheep sorrel, mullein, and wild carrots may also be in evidence.

This is a great time for mushrooms, especially if there’s been lots of rain beforehand. We’ll look for honey mushrooms, chicken mushrooms, hen-of-the-woods, honey mushrooms, puffballs, meadow mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms.”

While you’re at Sticks and Stones, enjoy the farm stand which is open 7 days a week in the main barn from 7am until dusk. Organic tomatoes, haricot verts, garlic, banana fingerling and Yukon gold potatoes, sorrel, Swiss chard, herbs, Trombocino and yellow squash can all be found at the farm now. Visit the moss and stone shop,  experience the 54′ labyrinth, and check out the cabins for rent.

The 30-minute talk and 90-minute tour begin at 2:30 PM, Sunday, October 2, at Sticks and Stones Farm at 201 Huntingtown Rd. in Newtown, CT. Wear good walking shoes, bug repellant if desired, bring a small trowel, paper bag and knapsack.

The fee is $25/adult, $10/child under 12. Please bring cash. Please call (203) 270-8820 at least 24 hours in advance to sign up.

Questions? Call or email Annie at anniesands@gmail.com and visit the website at http://sticksandstonesfarm.com/.

Visit http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/ for more information about “Wildman” Steve Brill and his foraging tours and book.

The 13th Annual ‘Hawk Festival & Green Bazaar’

October 1 & 2

11 AM – 5 PM

rain or shine

at Audubon Greenwich

613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT

This fun, green-themed, family-friendly event is a celebration of the amazing raptor migration which occurs in the skies above the Audubon Greenwich center each Fall. This special event features kids’ activities, games, food vendors, eco-friendly businesses, honey harvesting, and Audubon’s famous live birds of prey shows (1 & 3 pm). This is a great chance to visit Audubon’s Quaker Ridge Hawk counting site and have a great time with the family or a friend.

Among the many eco-friendly vendors at this event, you will find Mike’s Organic Delivery Service and Peace Tree Desserts, sustainable food businesses that have been profiled on our blog. Please stop by the CT NOFA table and join CT’s  largest and most influential organic farming, gardening and landcare organization. Their annual meeting in March kicks off with a nationally recognized keynote speaker, then moves to morning workshops, a potluck lunch (all the guests bring a dish), and extensive networking opportunities. Hope to see you there.

Support your local beekeeper! Two members of the CT Backyard Beekeeper’s Association, Bee Love and Honey Bee Farm, will also be among the vendors and exhibitors. Don’t forget to join the ‘Honey Harvest’ and help spin honey from the combs in the Red Barn.

The Front Yard Coop is a good vendor to visit if you’re considering raising laying hens. This coop is solar powered and self propelled so it “free ranges them across your yard and keeps the predators out.”

FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE FESTIVAL: Click here
Festival admission:
Audubon members: $5 for youth 3 years old & up / $7 for adults over 18 years
Non-members: $7 for youth 3 years old & up / $10 for adults over 18 years
Children under 3 years old can enter the HawkWatch Festival for free.

Phone: 203-869-5272.

FESTIVAL WEBSITE:

http://greenwich.audubon.org/Programs_SpecialEvents_AnnualFestivals-HawkWatch2011.html

The Back Yard Beekeepers Association (BYBA) is putting on a Honey Bee Jamboree at Ambler Farm in Wilton on Saturday, September 17, 2011 from 10 am to 3 pm. Guests will be given a passport with all the honey bee events listed on it and are encouraged to get their passport stamped as they visit each station.  Guests who visit all the stations get a prize! A suggested donation of $10 per family to Ambler Farm will help sustain their honey bee program. BYBA may charge a nominal fee for a couple of the stations to cover their expenses.

Honey Bee Jamboree activities led by BYBA master beekeepers include:

• Teaching Hive (Beekeeper’s equipment, photos of frames showing various things you might see inside a live hive, empty real equipment,veils, smokers, etc. to talk about and try on)
• Observation Hive w/ live bees “under glass”
• Honey Tasting (varietal honeys to taste and compare.  Held indoors  so as not to attract neighborhood bees in great numbers)
• Honey Extraction (also held indoors, same reason. Jars available for folks to bottle some to take home.)
• Bee’s Wax Candle Rolling
• Bee Toss (a bean bag game)
• Pollination Game (a flower-to-hive relay game)
• BYBA Farmers’ Market
• Bee Tent, Videos (screen-sided tent w/ nuc hives inside and beekeepers to “inspect” and show to spectators outside
• Honey Ice Cream Making
• Face Painting

You may also shop the Ambler Farm farm stand from 10:30-5 pm. Be sure to bring your own bags or boxes.

Ambler Farm is located at 257 Hurlbutt Street in Wilton, CT. There is ample parking at the farm, which is open to the community 365 days a year.

About the Back Yard Beekeepers Association:

The Back Yard Beekeepers Association (BYBA) has been educating the public about honey bees and beekeeping for fifteen plus years.  With over 300 members, our association has grown to become one of the nation’s largest regional clubs for beekeeping hobbyists. Some of our members are just getting started as beekeepers, and some have enjoyed this hobby for years. All share an interest in the wonderful and remarkable world of the honey bee. This regional club is dedicated to promoting beekeeping as a hobby, and spreading the good word about the remarkable honey bee.

The purpose of the BYBA is to provide its membership with interesting and practical information about the “how-to’s” of beekeeping. The club also provides the general public with educational programs about honey bees and the benefits of beekeeping in our communities. The BYBA is a not for profit, 501C-3 charitable organization.

There are 9 monthly meetings that begin at 7:30 pm on the last Tuesday of the month in January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October and November and are held at the Norfield Church Community Room, 64 Norfield Road, Weston, Connecticut. There is usually a meeting designed specifically for new beekeepers at 6:30 pm (prior to our regular meetings).  The Wannabees is a program offered for children.  These events are free and open to the public.

For more information visit the Back Yard Beekeepers Associations’ website, www.backyardbeekeepers.com.

Celebrate and learn to ‘Live Green’ at this two-day, fun-filled festival for all ages. Enjoy delicious food, live music, eco-friendly shopping, environmental speakers and exhibits!

See and experience businesses that are showcasing their green products and services that positively impact our lives and environment. Come away with tips and ideas that will save you money!

FREE ADMISSION! Let’s all Live Green Connecticut!

Festival Hours:

September 17, 2011
10:00am – 4:00pm

September 18, 2011
11:00am – 4:00pm C

Location:

Taylor Farm Park – 45 Calf Pasture Beach Road, Norwalk, CT 06855

Featured Green Food Exhibitors, Vendors and Guest Speakers:

Guest Speakers:

12 noon on Sunday, Sept. 18

Marina Marchese, author and founder of Red Bee Honey in Weston, will be a guest speaker in the Dolce Coffeehouse where she’ll discuss honeybees and beekeeping as a sustainable practice. Enjoy a honey tasting and book signing with CT’s honey connoisseur. Learn more about the speaker, her company, and book here.

Exhibitors:

Skinny Pines Brick Oven Caterer: Specializing in meals featuring local, seasonal ingredients!

Peace Tree Desserts: Eco-luxe bakery that sources exclusively local, organic, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients for their delicious baked goods!

Planet Fuel: Organic Beverages with Natural Spring Water!

The Farmer’s Cow: The Farmer’s Cow is your connection to farm fresh Connecticut products such as milk, eggs, cider and ice cream!

Lunch Vendors:

Skinny Pines Brick Oven Caterer: Specializing in meals featuring local, seasonal ingredients!

Click here for a full list of exhibitors and an event schedule.

Live Green Connecticut! is an IRS designated 501 (c) (3) public charity